ff 


THE 


LIFE  AND  SERVICES 


OF 


COMMODORE ' JOSIAH  lATTNALL; 


BY 


CHARLES  C.  JONES,  JR. 


MIKE  HONOUR  IS  MY  LIFE;    BOTH  GROW  IN  ONE. 

Shak. :  Rich.  II. 


SAVANNAH  : 
MOBNING  NEWS  STEAM  PRINTING  HOUSE. 

1878. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1878,  by 

.  JOHN  K.  F.  TATTNALL, 
In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


PREFATORY    NOTE. 


The  following  memoir  has  been  written  in  compliance  with  a  request 
preferred  by  the  nearest  relatives  of  the  deceased.  In  its  preparation  I 
have  been  greatly  assisted  by  John  R.  F.  Tattnall,  Esq., — the  Commo 
dore's  only  surviving  son, — who  cherishes  the  memory  of  his  noble  father 
with  a  filial  reverence  and  devotion  rarely  equaled  and  never  excelled. 

In  grouping  the  services,  and  presenting  an  estimate  of  the  life  and 
character  of  this  accomplished  gentleman,  thorough  officer,  and  chivalrous 
seaman,  I  have  endeavored,  whenever  practicable,  to  repeat  his  own 
utterances,  and  to  convey  an  impression  of  his  acts  and  conduct  in  the 
language  of  those  who  were  eye-witnesses  of  the  events  which  called  for 
their  expression.  Thus  will  the  reader  be  possessed  of  the  first  and  best 
sources  of  information,  and  in  them  find  warrant  for  deductions  the  surest, 
and  apprehension  the  most  reliable. 

Rich  is  the  legacy  bequeathed  by  men  of  pure  patriotism,  unsullied 
honor,  and  exalted  action.  Dear  to  all  is  a  life  devoted  to  the  service  of 
country,  to  the  cultivation  and  exhibition  of  the  heroic  virtues,  and  to 
the  pursuit  of  duty  under  circumstances  the  most  trying.  Precious  is  the 
memory  of  him  of  whom  we  speak.  No  braver  or  more  loyal  son  was 
ever  cradled  on  the  breast  of  this  commonwealth.  None  more  honorable 
or  capable  has  she  ever  committed  to  the  general  keeping.  During  an 
active  service  of  more  than  fifty  years,  never  did  he  omit  an  opportunity 
to  advance  his  professional  reputation,  fail  in  the  exhibition  of  supreme 
devotion  to  the  best  interests  of  Flag  and  Country,  falter  in  the  display  of 
the  most  conspicuous  gallantry,  or  lose  sight  of  his  well-avowed  allegiance 
to  all  that  was  knightly  and  of  highest  repute. 

In  his  old  age,  bearing  the  scars  of  battle,  and  bowed  by  the  weight  of 
nearly  four-score  years,  in  the  home  of  his  childhood  he  laid  him  down  to 
rest. 

He  sleeps  in  the  kindly  embrace  of  the  mother  earth  whose  soft  bosom 
his  infant  feet  first  pressed ;  and  those  grand  live-oaks  at  Bonaventure 
which  sheltered  him  in  youth,  attired  in  sober  green  and  with  pendant 
moss  swaying  solemnly  in  the  evening  air,  bend  as  aged,  heartfelt  mourners 
over  his  hallowed  grave.  CHARLES  @.  JONES,  JR. 

AUGUSTA,  GEORGIA,  May  1st,  1878. 


50181820 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  FIRST. 
Ancestry.     Birth.     School  days  in  England. 

Page  1 

CHAPTER  SECOND. 

Return  to  Georgia.  Resides  at  Savannah,  and  commences  the  Study  of 
Medicine.  Receives  a  Midshipman's  Warrant  in  the  United 
States  Navy  and  reports  at  Washington.  Ordered  to  the  Con 
stellation.  Tribute  to  Commodore  Hull.  Accident  in  the  Potomac. 
The  Constellation  covers  the  batteries  being  erected  on  Craney  island. 
First  engagement  with  the  enemy.  Assists  in  the  capture  of  the 
Centipede.  Ordered  to  Lake  Erie.  Resigns  from  the  Navy  and 
goes  to  Washington.  Restored  to  the  Navy.  Participates  in  the 
battle  of  Bladensburg. 

Page  6 

CHAPTER  THIRD. 

Ordered  to  the  Brig  Epervier.  With  Commodore  Decatur  in  the  Medi 
terranean.  Exchanges  into  the  Constellation.  Narrow  escape. 
Transferred  to  the  Ontario.  Enjoys  his  cruise  in  the  Mediter 
ranean.  Examples  of  his  generosity.  Advanced  to  the  grade  of 
Lieutenant  and  ordered  to  the  Macedonian.  Cruise  in  the  Pacific. 
Duel  with  an  officer  of  Lord  Cochrane's  fleet.  Acts  as  second  to 
Midshipman  Pinckney.  Tattnall's  conduct  in  the  affair.  Challenge 
to  English  naval  officers.  His  courage,  and  nice  sense  of  honor, 
both  personal  and  national.  Returns  to  the  United  States. 

Page  20 

CHAPTER  FOURTH. 

Marries.  Studies  Mathematics  at  Partridge's  Military  School.  As 
First  Lieutenant  of  the  Schooner  Jackal,  engaged  in  the  suppression 
of  Piracy  in  the  West  Indies.  Ordered  to  the  Frigate  Constitution. 
Second  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean.  Returns  to  the  United  States 
in  the  Frigate  Brandywine.  Assigned  to  the  Corvette  Erie.  Admiral 
Semmes'  account  of  Lieutenant  Tattnall's  cutting  out  of  the  Fed 
eral.  Tattnall's  letter  on  the  subject.  Confronts  Commodore 
Daniels.  Surveys  the  Tortugas  and  selects  a  site  for  a  fort.  His 
services  complimented  by  the  President  and  the  Navy  Department. 
Letter  detailing  the  incidents  of  the  survey  and  the  preparation  of 
his  official  report. 

Page  -  -  28 


v  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  FIFTH. 

In  command  of  the  Grampus.  Saves  an  American  vessel,  and  renders 
valuable  service  to  British  shipping.  Captures  the  Montezuma.  His 
account  of  that  capture.  Cholera  on  board  the  Grampus.  Relieves 
an  American  ship  detained  in  Mexican  waters.  Complimented  by 
merchants  and  Insurance  Companies.  Assigned  to  special  service  in 
command  of  the  Barque  Pioneer.  Escorts  Santa  Anna  to  Vera  Cruz. 
His  conduct  upon  the  arrival  of  the  President  in  that  city.  Promoted 
to  the  grade  of  Commander,  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  Boston 
Navy  Yard.  In  command  of  the  Corvette  f airfield^  and  again  in 
the  Mediterranean.  Official  difficulty  with  Commodore  Morgan. 
Assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Corvette  Saratoga.  Official  letter 
describing  the  disaster  encountered  by  that  ship.  Congratulatory 
letters  from  Brother-Officers. 

Page  38 

CHAPTER  SIXTH. 

In  command  of  the  Saratoga  on  the  African  Station.  War  declared  be 
tween  the  United  States  and  Mexico.  Assigned  to  the  Gun-Boat 
Spitfire.  In  command  of  the  Mosquito  Division.  Covers  disem- 
barcation  of  the  army  under  General  Scott.  Shells  Vera  Cruz  and 
the  Castle  of  St.  Juan  d'Ulloa.  Engages  the  Castle,  and  bombards 
the  city  on  the  23d.  Commander  Tattnall's  letter  describing  the  ac 
tion.  Reduction  of  Tuspan.  Admiral  Buchanan's  narrative  of  the 
affair.  Commander  Tattnall  wounded.  Captain  Whittle's  account. 
Complimented  with  a  sword,  for  his  gallantry,  by  the  State  of  Georgia. 
Page  53 

CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 

Again  in  command  of  the  Boston  Navy  Yard.  Promoted  to  the  grade  of 
Captain  and  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  Steam  Frigate  Saranac. 
Detailed  for  special  service  in  Cuban  waters.  Prudent  and  efficient 
conduct  of  affairs  while  in  command  of  that  station.  In  charge  of 
the  Pensacola  Navy  Yard.  Yellow-fever  epidemic.  Threatened  with 
violence.  Ordered  to  the  command  of  the  Frigate  Independence. 
Defective  equipment  of  this  vessel.  On  duty  at  the  Pacific  Station. 
Charges,  preferred  by  Commodore  Mervine,  dismissed  by  the  Navy 
Department.  Promoted  to  the  grade  of  Rear  Flag  Officer  and  ordered 
to  the  command  of  the  naval  forces  in  the  East  India  and  China  seas. 
The  Powhatan  his  flag-ship.  Movements  and  services  while  on  this 
Station.  Treaty  concluded  with  Japan. 

Page  67 


CONTENTS.  Vll 

CHAPTER  EIGHTH. 

Receives  the  United  States  Minister, — the  Hon.  John  E.  Ward, — on 
board  the  Powhatan  at  Penang.  Return  to  Hong  Kong.  Minister 
Ward.  Off  the  mouth  of  the  Peiho  river.  Lieutenant  Johnston's 
account  of  the  affair  of  the  Peiho.  Flag- Officer  Tattnall's  report  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Official  correspondence. 

Page  79 

CHAPTER  NINTH. 

Minister  Ward  proceeds  to  Peking.  Treaty  exchanged.  Return  to  Shang 
hai.  The  American  Minister  visits  Japan  as  the  guest  of  Flag- 
Officer  Tattnall.  Preparations  for  receiving  the  Japanese  Embassy 
on  board  the  Powhatan.  The  command  of  the  squadron  transferred 
to  Flag-Officer  Stribling.  Departure  for  Japan. 
Page  111 

CHAPTER  TENTH. 

Arrival  at  Yokuhama.  The  Japanese  Ambassadors  received  on  board 
the  Powhatan.  Departure  for  the  United  States.  Touches  at  Hono 
lulu.  Complimentary  letter  from  the  British  residents.  The  Pow 
hatan  at  San  Francisco.  Flag-Officer  Tattnall  proceeds  to  Washing 
ton.  Welcome  and  congratulations  there  extended.  Assigned  to  the 
command  of  the  Lake  Station,  with  his  Head  Quarters  at  Sackett's 
Harbor. 

Page  117 

CHAPTER  ELEVENTH. 

Secession  of  the  State  of  Georgia.  Captain  Tattnall's  views  on  the  ques 
tion  of  Secession.  The  devotion  of  a  naval  officer  to  his  flag.  Trying 
situation.  Resolves  to  respond  to  the  call  of  his  native  State.  Re 
signs  his  commission  in  the  United  States  navy.  Letter  of  accept 
ance.  Proceeds  to  Montgomery,  Alabama.  Letter  to  Governor 
Brown  tendering  his  sword  to  Georgia.  Commissioned  Senior  Flag- 
Officer  in  the  navy  of  Georgia.  Letters  of  Governor  Brown  and 
Adjutant-General  Wayne.  Commissioned  a  Captain  in  the  Confeder 
ate  States  navy.  Assigned  to  the  Naval  defense  of  South  Carolina 
and  Georgia. 

Page  125 

CHAPTER  TWELFTH. 

Confederal  naval  operations  in  Port  Royal  Harbor  in  November,   1861. 
Page  -  133 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  THIRTEENTH. 

Attack  upon  the  Federal  vessels  blockading  the  port  of  Savannah.  Bat 
tery  Cheves  erected,  and  manned  by  the  navy.  Ineffectual  efforts  to 
defeat  Federal  operations  looking  to  the  investment  of  Fort  Pulaski. 
Convoys  a  six  months  supply  of  provisions  to  the  Fort.  Pulaski 
isolated.  Projected  assault  upon  the  battery  on  Oakley  island.  Con 
gratulatory  letter  to  Captain  Buchanan  on  the  success  of  the  Virginia. 
Page  143 

CHAPTER  FOURTEENTH. 

Ordered  to  take  command  of  the  naval  defenses  of  the  waters  of  Virginia, 
and  to  hoist  his  flag  on  board  the  Virginia.  Official  communications 
in  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  Virginia  and  showing  the  expecta 
tions  entertained  of  her  future  service.  Offers  battle  to  the  Monitor. 
Official  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Embarrassing  position 
of  Flag-Officer  Tattnall.  Letter  to  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 
Communication  to  Mr.  Mallory  requesting  to  be  relieved  of  command 
if  the  navy  was  to  be  regarded  as  under  the  control  of  the  military. 
Confederate  army  withdrawn  from  the  Peninsula.  Norfolk  abandoned. 
The  Virginia  destroyed.  Letter  of  Flag-Officer  Tattnall  to  Secre 
tary  Mallory  detailing  the  necessity  for,  and  the  circumstances  atten- 
dant  upon  the  act. 

Page  150 

CHAPTER  FIFTEENTH. 

The  destruction  of  the  Virginia  necessary  and  proper.  Admiral  Buchan 
an's  view  of  the  act.  Flag- Officer  Tattnall  ordered  to  return  to  Sa 
vannah  and  take  command  of  the  naval  defenses  of  Georgia.  He 
'demands  a  Court  of  Inquiry.  Court  convenes  and  finds  adversely  to 
Captain  Tattnall.  Protest  entered,  by  some  of  the  officers  of  the 
Virginia,  against  the  official  approval  of  the  finding.  Published 
strictures  upon  the  conduct  and  finding  of  the  Court.  Flag- Officer 
Tattnall  demands  a  Court  Martial.  It  is  ordered.  Its  composition. 
Charges,  and  specifications  of  charges  preferred.  Tattnall's  defense. 
Finding  of  the  Court.  Greneral  satisfaction  at  the  triumphant  vindi 
cation  of  Flag- Officer  Tattnall.  Letter  of  the  Honorable  J.  L. 
Petigru. 

Page  179 

CHAPTER  SIXTEENTH.  * 

Return  to  Savannah.  Changed  condition  of  affairs.  Relieved  of  the 
command  afloat.  Official  report  to  Mr.  Mallory  of  naval  matters  at 
the  Savannah  Station.  The  iron-clad  Atlanta.  Commander  Page. 
Lieutenant  Webb.  History  of  the  Atlanta.  Her  engagement  with 
the  Weehawken  and  Nahant,  and  capture  by  them. 

Page  -  -  -  220 


CONTENTS.  X 

CHAPTER  SEVENTEENTH. 

Engaged  in  supervising  the  construction  of  Confederate  war  vessels  at 
Savannah.  Capture  of  the  U.  S.  steamer  Water  Witch.  Ordered 
to  destroy  all  naval  vessels  at  the  station,  if  Savannah  fell.  Report 
of  his  action  in  obedience  to  these  instructions.  Retreats  from  Sa 
vannah,  in  December,  1864,  with  Lieut.  Gen'l  Hardee.  In  Augusta, 
Georgia,  until  the  surrender  of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston.  After 
being  parolled,  returns  to  Savannah.  Letter  to  General  Robert  E. 
Lee.  General  Lee's  response.  Removes  to  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia. 
Again  in  Savannah.  Appointed  Inspector  of  the  Port. 

Page  230 

CHAPTER  EIGHTEENTH. 

Death.  Resolutions  of  the  City  Council  of  Savannah.  Committee  of 
arrangements,  and  pall-bearers.  Order  of  arrangements  for  the  ob 
sequies.  Ceremonies  observed.  Burial.  Public  tributes.  Closing 
hours.  Captain  Whittle's  sketch  of  Commodore  Tattnall. 

Page  -  -  240 


THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES 

OF 

COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL. 


CHAPTER  FIKST. 

Ancestry.     Birth.     School  Days  in  England. 

The  paternal  ancestors  of  Commodore  Josiali  Tattnall 
removed  from  Normandy,  in  France,  and  settled  in  Ches 
hire,  England.  Marriage  alliances  there  formed,  indicate 
the  prominent  social  standing  of  the  immigrants,  from 
1530,  among  the  gentry  of  that  shire.  The  family  name 
was  originally  de  Taten,  then  Tatenhall,  and  subsequently 
Tattnall. 

The  first  of  the  name  who  came  to  America  located  in 
South  Carolina  early  in  the  year  1700.  He  there  married 
a  grand-daughter  of  Barnewall,  Baron  Trimlestown,  of  the 
Irish  peerage.  Josiah, — a  son  of  this  marriage, — was  united 
in  matrimony,  in  South  Carolina,  to  the  daughter  and  only 
child  of  Colonel  John  Mulryne,  who  purchased  the  Bonaven- 
ture  estate, — a  few  miles  below  Savannah, — and  settled  it  in 
1762.  Thither  did  Josiali  Tattnall  shortly  afterwards  re 
move  with  his  family,  and  there  he  fixed  his  home.  Of 
this  marriage  two  sons,  John  and  Josiah,  were  the  fruit. 

Upon  the  revolt  of  the  American  Colonies,  these  lads 
accompanied  their  father,  and  grand-father, — Colonel  Mul 
ryne, — to  England.  While  maintaining  their  allegiance  to 
the  English  Crown,  these  gentlemen  declined  commissions 


THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES 

OF 

COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL. 


CHAPTER  FIRST. 

Ancestry.     Birth.     School  Days  in  England. 

The  paternal  ancestors  of  Commodore  Josiah  Tattnall 
removed  from  Normandy,  in  France,  and  settled  in  Ches 
hire,  England.  Marriage  alliances  there  formed,  indicate 
the  prominent  social  standing  of  the  immigrants,  from 
1530,  among,  the  gentry  of  that  shire.  The  family  name 
was  originally  de  Taten,  then  Tatenhall,  and  subsequently 
Tattnall. 

The  first  of  the  name  who  came  to  America  located  in 
South  Carolina  early  in  the  year  1700.  He  there  married 
a  grand-daughter  of  Barnewall,  Baron  Trimlestown,  of  the 
Irish  peerage.  Josiah, — a  son  of  this  marriage, — was  united 
in  matrimony,  in  South  Carolina,  to  the  daughter  and  only 
child  of  Colonel  John  Mulryne,  who  purchased  the  Bonaven- 
ture  estate, — a  few  miles  below  Savannah, — and  settled  it  in 
1762.  Thither  did  Josiah  Tattnall  shortly  afterwards  re 
move  with  his  family,  and  there  he  fixed  his  home.  Of 
this  marriage  two  sons,  John  and  Josiah,  were  the  fruit. 

Upon  the  revolt  of  the  American  Colonies,  these  lads 
accompanied  their  father,  and  grand-father, — Colonel  Mul 
ryne, — to  England.  While  maintaining  their  allegiance  to 
the  English  Crown,  these  gentlemen  declined  commissions 


2  THE  LIFE  AND   SEKYICES  OF 

in  the  Eoyal  army.  Although  firm  in  their  support  of  the 
Home  Government,  they  were  unwilling  to  take  active  part 
in  the  coercion  of  the  Colonies  where  dwelt  many  of  their 
friends  and  connections.  Upon  the  subversion  of  the  Hoyal 
Government  in  Georgia  they  set  out  for  England,  where 
they  resided  during  the  continuance  of  hostilities.  In  con 
sequence  of  this  step,  the  family  estates  in  Georgia  were 
confiscated  by  the  Rebels.  Because  these  gentlemen  de 
clined  to  bear  arms  in  defense  of  the  infant  State  of  Georgia 
against  English  rule,  their  property  was  condemned  by 
public  act,*  and  they  themselves  were  declared  banished 
from  the  State  forever.  By  a  remarkable  revolution  in  the 
political  wheel,  some  eighty-four  years  afterwards,  the  per 
sonal  property  of  Commodore  Tattnall, — the  subject  of  this 
sketch  and  the  grand  son  of  the  Josiah  Tattnall  of  whom 
we  are  now  speaking, — was  confiscated  by  the  Federal 
Government  because  he  refused  to  remain  in  the  service  of 
the  United  States  and  take  up  arms  against  the  State  of 
Georgia.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  included  in  the  property 
thus  confiscated  by  the  Federal  authorities  were  some  ar 
ticles  which  had  been  condemned  and  appropriated  by 
Georgia  in  1782  as  the  property  of  the  Commodore's  grand 
father,  but  which,  upon  open  sale,  had  been  purchased  by 
friends  and  restored  .to  the  family  shortly  after  the  con 
clusion  of  the  revolutionary  war. 

Prior  to  the  termination  of  the  struggle  of  the  United 
Colonies  for  independence,  the  younger  of  the  two  sons  of 
Josiah  Tattnall,  of  Bonaventure, — Josiah  Tattnall,  Jr., — 
requested  permission  of  his  father  to  return  to  Georgia  and 
espouse  the  cause  of  the  Revolutionists.  This  application 
was  refused;  but  the  youth, — then  aboui  eighteen  years 

*  Marbury  &  Crawford's  Digest,  p.  82,  et  seq. 


COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL. 

old, — who  had  been  born  at  Bonaventure,  and  was  ardently 
attached  to  Georgia  and  her  fortunes, — who,  upon  the  eve 
of  the  departure  of  the  immediate  members  of  the  family 
for  England,  had  protested  against  accompanying  them  and, 
in  the  effort  to  remain,  had  gone  so  far  as  to  throw  him 
self  from  the  ship  as  she  was  weighing  anchor  for  her 
voyage  and  attempt  by  swimming  to  regain  the  shore, — in 
defiance  of  parental  wishes  and  in  the  face  of  many  diffi 
culties  succeeded  in  making  his  way  back  to  Georgia.  Join 
ing  the  army  of  General  Greene,  he  followed  the  fortunes 
of  that  great  and  good  officer  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
In  appreciation  of  the  devotion  and  services  of  this  mem 
ber  of  the  family,  after  the  recognition  by  England  of  the 
independence  of  her  Colonies,  Georgia  restored  a  portion 
of  the  confiscated  estates  of  the  Tattnalls, — including  Bona 
venture, — to  Josiah  Tattnall,  Jr.  He  was  honored  by  his 
State  and  beloved  by  her  citizens.  Many  offices  of  public 
confidence  did  he  acceptably  fill.  He  is  now  remembered 
as  the  third  Captain  of  the  Chatham  Artillery,  as  Colonel 
of  the  First  Georgia  Eegiment,  as  Brigadier  General  of 
the  First  Brigade  of  the  First  Division  of  the  State  forces, 
as  a  member  of  the  Georgia  Legislature,  as  a  member  of 
Congress,  and  a  United  States  Senator  from  Georgia,  and, 
finally,  as  Governor  of  the  State.  His  name,  talents  and 
reputation  are  dear  to  the  people  of  this  commonwealth. 
Dying  in  the  West  Indies  in  1804,  at  the  early  age  of  thirty- 
six,  his  last  request  was  that  his  body  should  be  carried 
to  Georgia  that  it  might  rest  in  the  bosom  of  the  land  he 
loved  so  well  and  in  the  companionship  of  the  peoples 
who  had  honored  him  so  often  and  so  highly.  This  wish 
was  observed ;  and  he  now  sleeps  beneath  the  solemn  shades 
of  those  venerable  live-oaks  which,  in  commingled  grandeur 


4  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

and  beauty,  guard  the  cemetery  at  Bonaventure,  long  the 
family  seat  of  the  Tattnalls. 

Of  a  father  thus  distinguished  was  Josiah, — the  hero  of 
this  biography, — born  at  Bonaventure  on  the  9th  of  Novem 
ber,  1795.  His  mother  was  the  daughter  of  Edward  Fen- 
wick,  Esq.,  of  South  Carolina ; — a  descendant  of  the  Stan- 
ton  branch  of  the  Fenwick  family  of  Northumberland.  Sir 
John  Fenwick,  Baronet,  of  the  Wallington  and  senior 
branch,  in  consideration  of  his  rank,  and  alliance  with  the 
house  of  Howard,  was  complimented  with  the  axe  on  Tower 
Hill  in  the  reign  of  William  III.  He  died  professing  his 
loyalty  to  King  James,  and  praying  Heaven  for  his  speedy 
restoration.* 

The  Fenwick  family  is  one  of  great  antiquity  and  in 
fluence.  It  points  to  a  famous  membership  even  in  Saxon 
times,  and  prior  to  the  Norman  Conquest  of  England. t 

Pure  blood  and  an  honorable  ancestry  constitute  a  rich 
legacy  for  the  coming  generation,  inspiring  it  with  just  pride 
in  the  past,  and  encouraging  in  the  future  a  generous  emu 
lation.  Such  inheritance  did  Commodore  Tattnall  possess. 
Of  it  did  his  character  and  acts  give  token  most  constant 
and  ample. 

Upon  the  demise  of  Governor  Tattnall  his  son  Josiah 
was  left  entirely  an  orphan ;  his  mother  having  died  a 
few  months  previous.  With  his  elder  brother,  Edward 
Fenwick,  and  a*  sister,  he  was  sent  to  England  to  be 
educated  under  the"1  supervision  of  his  grand-father.  The 
boys  were  put  to  school  near  London.  Josiah  was  then 
in  the  tenth  year  of  his  age,  and  here  did  he  remain  for 
the  following  six  years. 

*See  Hume's  History  of  England,  vol.  ix,  p.  299.^London,  1825. 
tSee  Appendix  A. 


COMMODORE   JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  5 

Of  the  conduct  of  the  lad  while  pursuing  his  preliminary 
studies  we  have  little  knowledge  save  that  it  was  exemplary 
and  manly.  Of  the  advantages  then  offered  he  appears 
to  have  conscientiously  availed  himself. 

During  his  residence  in  England  he  cherished  fond 
recollections  of  his  American  friends,  a  sincere  attachment 
to  the  memories  and  attractions  of  the  family  home  at 
Bonaventure,  and  an  abiding  loyalty  to  the  governments 
of  Georgia  and  the  United  States.  The  spirit  of  the 
father  lived  in  the  bosom  of  the  son.  On  one  occasion 
when  the  King's  health  was  proposed  at  the  table  of  his 
grand-father,  young  Tattnall  refused  to  touch  his  glass  until 
allowed  to  couple  with  it  the  health  of  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  While  passing  through  the  Koyal 
Stables  and  viewing  the  magnificent  horses  and  equipages 
of  the  King,  he  turned  to  his  companion  and  remarked 
that  it  would  afford  him  far  greater  pleasure  to  look  upon 
the  President's  coach  and  four.  This  love  for  America 
was  evidently  inherited,  for  he  was  too  young  to  have  im 
bibed  any  prejudices  against  the  Mother  Country  and  her 
institutions ;  and,  while  in  England,  he  was  the  recipient 
of  the  greatest  kindnesses  from  his  grand-father  and  friends. 
Among  those  who  'manifested  special  interest  in  Josiah 
were  his  -great  uncle,  Colonel  Boone  of  the  Guards,  and 
his  sister.  They  were  the  children  of  his  grand-father's 
sister  who,  as  the  widow  of  Samuel  Perronneau,  of  South 
Carolina,  some  time  prior  to  the  American  Eevolution,  had, 
in  England,  married  Mr.  Boone,  an  ex-Koyal  Governor  of 
the  province  of  South  Carolina. 

Of  his  school  days  in  England  Commodore  Tattnall  often 
spoke  with  tenderness  and  affection.  They  gave  to  him 
pleasant  memories  which  he  carried  with  him  to  the  grave. 


CHAPTER  SECOND. 

Returns  to  Georgia.  Resides  at  Savannah  and  commences  the  study  of 
Medicine.  Receives  a  Midshipman's  Warrant  in  the  United  States 
Navy  and  reports  at  Washington.  Ordered  to  the  Constellation. 
Tribute  to  Commodore  Hull.  Accident  in  the  Potomac.  The  Con 
stellation  covers  the  batteries  beins;  erected  on  Craney  island.  First 
engagement  with  the  enemy.  Assists  in  the  capture  of  the  Centipede. 
Ordered  to  Lake  Erie.  Resigns  from  the  navy,  and  goes  to  Washing, 
ton.  Restored  to  the  navy.  Participates  in  the  battle  of  Bladensburg- 

From  notes  left  by  the  Commodore  we  extract  the  fol 
lowing  : 

"I  took  leave  of  my  noble  old  grand-father  and  many 
kind  English  friends  about  the  first  of  November,  1811,  and 
sailed  for  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  in  the  American  ship 
Isabella.  She  was  a  live-oak  built  vessel  constructed  on 
Cumberland  island,  Georgia.  For  her  day  she  was  a  very 
fine  vessel  and  sailed  very  fast.  We  were  detained  by  head 
winds  in  Cowes  Roads  for  three  weeks,  during  which  time 
several  hundred  sail  of  men-of-war  and  merchant  vessels 
had  anchored  there  bound  to  all  parts  of  the  world,  and 
chiefly  to  the  Spanish  Peninsula, — the  war  in  Spain  being 
then  at  its  height. 

"  When  this  great  fleet  got  under  way,  the  Isabella  out 
sailed  every  ship  except  the  men-of-war.  This  fact  shows 
the  great  superiority  of  the  American  merchant  marine  of 
that  day,  in  sailing  qualities,  over  all  others.  This  supe 
riority  it  still  maintains,  although  the  English,  at  the  present 
day,  in  their  vessels  built  for  distant  voyages,  have  copied 
the  American  model  very  closely. 


COMMODORE  .TOSIAH  TATTNALL.  7 

"While  the  Isabella  was  detained  in  Cowes  Roads  I 
resided  on  shore  and  visited  various  places  of  historical 
note  in  the  vicinity,  thus  indulging  a  natural  taste  which 
has  increased  with  years.  When  the  wind  became  fair 
for  sailing,  it  was  a  beautiful  sight  to  see  the  great  assem 
blage  of  vessels  in  the  Roads  get  under  way  at  a  signal 
from  the  men  of  war  and  press  through  the  narrow  passage 
of  the  Needles  between  the  Isle  of  Wight  and  the  main 
land,  crowding  and  becalming  each  other. 

"  The  Isabella  arrived  off  the  bar  of  Charleston,  but  her 
destination  was  there  changed,  and  she  proceeded  to  Sa 
vannah.  On  arriving  in  the  river,  the  ship,  owing  to  her 
great  draft,  anchored  below,  and  I  took  passage  in  a  pilot 
boat  to  the  city,  where  I  arrived  on  Christmas  morning 
before  daylight,  and  roamed  about  the  city  for  several  hours 
ere  I  succeeded  in  finding  a  boarding  house.  After  break 
fast  I  sought  my  relative,  Doctor  George  Jones,  by  whom, 
and  his  family,  I  was  most  affectionately  welcomed.  A 
fortnight  having  been  passed  in  idleness  and  amusement 
among  my  friends,  I  took  up  my  residence  with  Doctor 
Lemuel  Kollock,  who  had,  just  before  I  left  home  for 
England,  married  my  first  cousin,  Maria  Campbell.  It  was 
my  purpose  to  study  medicine,  in  despite  of  a  great  aversion 
on  my  part,  as  I  had  promised  my  relations  to  make  the 
effort.  My  kind  friend  Doctor  Kollock,  observing  my  re 
pugnance  to  the  study,  recommended  me  to  commence 
with  anatomy,  to  interest  me,  and  win  me  to  the  pro 
fession  ;  but  the  attempt  failed — experience  at  the  dissec 
tion  table  and  in  the  duties  of  a  resurrectionist  proving 
entirely  too  strong  for  my  taste.  The  dissections  disgusted 
me  beyond  endurance,  and  the  digging  up  by  the  students 

of     such    negro    subjects    as   were    required    shocked    me, 
3 


THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   Otf 

This  invasion  of  the  negro  grave-yards  was  necessary  in 
days  when  no  other  subjects  could  be  obtained  ;  and  no 
one  dared,  in  the  face  of  public  sentiment,  to  assume  the 
role  of  a  professed  resurrectionist.  Although  not  of  a 
superstitious  nature,  I  was  highly  imaginative ;  my  earliest 
years  having  been  passed  in  the  shade  of  the  solemn 
old  oaks  of  Bonaventure,  and  my  memory  there  stored 
with  the  wild  ghost  stories  of  my  old  negro  nurse  and 
her  fellow  servants.  Consequently,  the  post  of  picket  on 
the  occasion  of  grave-yard  invasions  was  not  relished 
by  me,  and  my  boyish  animal  spirits  were  fast  giving  way 
to  melancholy.  I  dreaded  the  approach  of  night,  for  it  was 
long  before  I  ceased  to  renew  in  my  dreams  the  horrid 
scenes  of  the  dissecting  room.  It  may  be  supposed  that 
under  such  circumstances  my  brother,  students,  if  they 
found  me  of  no  assistance  in  other  respects,  appreciated 
my  value  as  a  vigilant  sentinel.  I  certainly  kept  as  bright 
a  lookout  for  'wharlocks'  as  did  poor  Tarn  O'Shanter  on 
his  way  home  on  his  good  mare  '  Meggie.'  At  this  period 
in  the  prosecution  of  my  medical  studies,  I  made  two 
mistakes  which  might  have  proved  fatal  in  their  results, 
by  sending  out  wrong  prescriptions  to  two  patients.  The 
Doctor  learning  these  facts  told  me  that  he  thought  I 
had  better  obey  my  own  professional  inclination  which 
prompted  me  to  follow  a  naval  career.  In  this  I  entirely 
agreed  with  him,  and,  application  having  been  made  to 
the  Nav}>-  Department  for  a  warrant  for  me,  I  received 
the  coveted  naval  grade  of  Midshipman  on  the  first  of 
April,  1812,*  only  three  months  after  my  arrival  in  Savan 
nah  from  England.  In  those  short  months,  it  will  thus 


*The  date  of    his  appointment  as  Midshipman  is  January  1,  1812,  but  the  warrant 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  received  until  three  months  subsequently. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  9 

be  seen,  I  had  not  only  become  a  Midshipman,  but  I  had 
also  been  a  student  of  anatomy,  and  a  resurrectionist. 
Early  in  June  I  received  my  first  orders  to  report  at 
Washington,  District  of  Columbia.  I  left  Savannah  for 
Charleston,  where  I  passed  a  day  with  my  mother's  sister,— 
Mrs.  Christopher  Gadsden, — whose  only  son,  Christopher, 
commanded  the  U.  S.  brig  Vixen,  then  in  Charleston 
harbor. 

"  I  did  not  meet  my  cousin, — Captain  Gadsden, — at  his 
mother's,  or  my  early  naval  career  might  have  taken  a  dif 
ferent  direction,  and  the  misfortune  avoided  of  being  block 
aded  in  port  the  whole  of  the  impending  war.  I  sailed  the 
day  after  my  arrival  at  Charleston  in  a  merchant  brig, 
loaded  with  timber,  for  the  Navy  Yard  at  Washington.  The 
brig,  on  the  day  she  sailed,  having  been  becalmed  in  the 
bay,  afforded  my  cousin, — Captain  Gadsden, —  an  opportunity 
to  visit  me  from  his  vessel,  and  he  urged  me,  strenuously, 
to  let  him  take  me  and  my  baggage  on  board  the  Vixen, 
saying  that  he  would  arrange  with  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  for  a  change  in  my  orders,  and  thus  attach  me  to  the 
Vixen.  I  declined,  giving  as  one  of  my  reasons  that  I  had 
heard  that  it  was  not  advisable  to  sail  with  a  relation.  Had 
I  met  my  cousin  at  his  mother's  residence,  or  had  time 
been  allowed  for  further  parley,  I  think  I  would  have  been 
induced  to  conform  to  his  wishes,  but  the  breeze  sprang  up 
and  cut  short  our  interview.  I  was  now  at  sea  for  the  first 
time  under  orders,  in  a  brig  deeply  loaded  with  timber, 
including  a  heavy  deck  load.  After  leaving  Charleston  we 
had  a  steady  breeze  from  the  southward,  and  all  things 
looked  prosperously  until  midnight,  of  the  same  day,  when 
being  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Frying  Pan  shoals,  the 
Captain,  whose  watch  it  was,  went  on  the  fore-yard  to  look 


10  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES   OF 

out.  It  had'  been  blowing  fresh  from  the  southwest  all 
day,  with  a  considerable  sea,  and  the  vessel's  canvas  had 
been  reduced  to  the  topsails  and  foresail.  The  wind  was 
about  two  points  on  the  off  shore  quarter.  Suddenly  there 
was  a  cry  of  '  breakers  ahead !'  '  Hard  down  the  helm,' 
cried  the  Captain.  Down  it  went,  but,  in  an  instant,  we 
were  in  the  midst  of  heavy  breakers.  The  brig,  having 
great  headway,  came  rapidly  up  to  the  wind,  her  yards 
being  nearly  squared,  until  her  sails  getting  nearly  aback, 
she  lost  her  headway  and  took  on  board  a  tremendous 
breaker  which  filled  her  to  the  rail,  filled  the  cabin,  and  put 
out  the  binnacle  lights.  If  the  Captain  gave  any  further 
orders  from  aloft  they  were  not  heard  for  the  roar  of  the 
breakers.  The  man  at  the  helm  saved  us.  *  Brace  up  the 
yards,'  he  cried,  'or  we  are  lost!'  The  men  jumped  to  the 
braces  and  swung  the  yards  forward.  The  sails  filled,  and 
the  brig,  gathering  a  little  headway,  drifted  side-way  through 
the  breakers,  which  proved  to  be  the  outer  edge  of  the 
shoal.  I  was  on  deck  at  the  time  and  aided,  with  my  little 
strength  and  less  skill,  the  helmsman.  We  struck  slightly 
once.  I  have  been  in  the  navy  upwards  of  fifty  years  and 
was  never  in  greater  danger  of  a  watery  grave  than  on 
this  occasion.  We  reached  Chesapeake  bay  a  day  or  two 
afterwards,  and  learned  from  a  pilot  boat  that  war  had 
been  declared  against  England  on  the  18th  June.  My 
anxiety,  under  the  circumstances,  to  reach  Washington  in 
duced  me  to  hire  the  pilot  boat  to  convey  me  there.  On 
going  up  the  Potomac  we  passed  the  U.  S.  frigate  Con 
stellation  lying  off  St.  Mary's.  It  was  my  first  sight  of  an 
American  frigate,  and  I  gazed  with  enthusiastic  feelings, — 
increased  by  the  fact  that  we  were  now  at  war, — on  the 
vessel's  dark,  long  hull.  As  we  slowly  passed  her,  her  bell 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  11 

struck  the  hour.  Its  tones  vibrated  to  my  very  heart,  and 
the  tone  of  that  bell  sounds,  at  times,  on  my  ear  to  this 
c|ay — my  seventy-first  year.  We  reached  Washington, 
where  I,  in  company  with  several  other  youngsters,  was 
placed  at  my  books,  under  the  charge  of  a  naval  officer 
appointed  to  instruct  the  newly  appointed  Midshipmen  in 
their  duties.  Having  already  acquired  a  good  knowledge 
of  simple  mathematics,  I  soon  passed  through  the  allotted 
ordeal,  and  was  ordered,  August  1st,  1812,  to  the  frigate 
Constellation,  then  fitting  for  sea  at  the  Washington  Navy 
Yard,  and  commanded  by  Commodore  Bainbridge,  with 
Lieutenant  Thomas  McDonough  as  first  Lieutenant.  Both 
these  officers  subsequently  became  greatly  distinguished. 
The  Constellation  was  at  this  time  the  favorite  ship  of  the 
navy.  She  had  fought  two  actions,  during  the  French 
disturbance,  with  French  frigates,  capturing  both  of  her 
antagonists,  one  of  which,  however,  subsequently  escaped, 
upon  the  Constellation  losing  one  of  her  masts — wounded 
in  the  action.  The  Constellation  was  very  fast,  and  was 
called  by  the  French  '  The  Yankee  Eacehorse.'  She  was 
very  crank,  and  had  an  awkward  way,  without  much  pro 
vocation,  of  getting  on  her  beam  ends.  On  one  occasion 
she  was  knocked  down  while  chasing  a  French  privateer, 
but  succeeded,  notwithstanding,  in  overtaking  and  capturing 
the  chase.  On  another  occasion,  while  at  anchor  in  the 
Delaware,  with  her  air  ports  open,  she  was  struck  by  a 
squall  and  tumbled  over  and  filled.  The  Constellation  was 
not  ready  and  provided  with  a  crew  until  late  in  the  fall. 
In  the  meantime  we  had  heard  of  the  capture  of  the 
English  frigate  Guerriere  by  the  frigate  Constitution,  and  of 
the  English  sloop^of-war  Frolic  by  the  Wasp,  of  the  same 
force  and  rate.  These  victories  caused  the  greatest  exul- 


12  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

tation  throughout  the  country  and  a  confidence  in  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  navy  which  led  to  new  victories. 
This  exultation  on  the  part  of  the  people  was  enhanced 
by  the  constant  reverses  experienced  by  the  army,  which, 
however  brave,  could  not,  in  its  undisciplined  state,  contend 
successfully  against  a  foe  equally  brave  and  perfectly  dis 
ciplined,  led  by  officers  formed  in  the  school  of  active 
European  service  and  seasoned  by  battle.  The  officers  of 
the  navy  had,  before  the  Avar  commenced,  a  proper  confi 
dence  in  themselves  professionally,  and  were  animated  by 
a  desire  to  wipe  out  the  insult  the  service  had  sustained  in 
the  attack  of  the  English  frigate  Leopard  on  the  unresisting 
frigate  Chesapeake.  The  first  victory  of  the  war  gained  by 
the  Constitution,  under  Hull,  confirmed  this  confidence,  and 
that  old  hero  I  consider  to  have  been  entitled  by  this 
victory  to  half  the  glory  gained  by  the  navy  in  this  war. 
What  an  oversight  it  is  that  this  gallant  pioneer  of  Ameri 
can  naval  renown  should  have  passed  away  without  a  me 
morial  having,  by  his  comrades,  been  raised  to  commem- 
oiate  his  services!  The  confident  manner  in  which  he  took 
his  ship  into  action,  and  the  skill  of  his  manoeuvring,  at 
once  both  lowered  the  confidence  of  the  English  and  exalted 
our  own.  I  knew  the  noble  old  Commodore  well.  Simple 
in  his  manners,  and  as  modest  as  he  was  brave,  he  passed 
through  life  with  but  little  parade ;  and  at  his  death  his 
memory  was  so  far  neglected  that  the  usual  compliment 
of  firing  minute  guns  at  the  various  naval  stations  was 
omitted. 

"When  the  Constellation  was  ready  for  sea  it  was  found 
necessary  to  detach  a  number  of  the  Midshipmen  attached 
to  her  ;  not  less  than  thirty  being  on  board.  The  selection 
of  such  as  were  to  remain  was  left  to  the  Captain,  Charles 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  13 

Stewart,  who  had  succeeded  Commodore  Bainbridge  in 
command  of  the  frigate.  To  my  chagrin  I  was  one  of 
those  detached,  the  Captain  evidently  selecting  those  to 
remain  from  among  the  Midshipmen  of  more  experience 
and  advanced  age  than  myself.  The  Captain,  in  parting 
with  us,  addressed  us  kindly  and, said  that  he  had  arranged 
that  we  should  be  ordered  to  the  Adams,  a  ship  of  twenty- 
six  guns  then  fitting  for  sea  at  Washington.  Deeply  mor 
tified  at  this  circumstance  I  called  on  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  and  asked  for  orders  to  the  Lakes,  telling  him 
that,  as  I  was  one  of  the  first  Midshipmen  attached  to 
the  Constellation,  I  thought  I  ought  to  have  been  retained, 
and  that  if  I  received  orders  to  the  Adams  the  same 
treatment,  when  she  was  ready  for  sea,  might  be  awarded 
me.  The  kind  gentleman,  then  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
the  Honorable  Paul  Hamilton,  of  South  Carolina,  replied 
that  the  Lakes  were  no  place  for  me,  and  that  he  would 
re-order  me  to  the  Constellation,  and  let  Captain  Stewart 
know  that  he  had  a  special  desire  that  I  should  serve 
in  her.  A  day  or  two  after,  with  my  new  order,  I  called 
on  Captain  Stewart,  at  his  lodgings  on  shore,  and  reported 
myself.  He  seemed  displeased,  and,  as  I  thought,  treated 
me  cavalierly.  He  did  not  invite  me  to  be  seated;  and, 
having  perused  my  order,  he  returned  it  to  me  without 
directing  me  to  report  on  board  the  frigate.  I  left  him, 
and  instead  of  going  on  board  returned  to  my  lodgings,  with 
the  determination  of  not  joining  the  ship  until  the  Captain 
chose  to  order  me.  A  few  days  later  the  first  Lieutenant 
sent  to  enquire  why  I  had  not  reported  on  board  ?  I  stated 
my  reason  and,  at  once,  received  the  order  from  the  Captain 
to  do  so.  I  expected  from  this  unusual  position  towards 
my  Captain  that  I  should  find  him  not  well  disposed  towards 


14  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

me ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  lie  showed,  on  all  occasions,  a 
kind  regard  for  and  favorable  appreciation  of  me.  When 
the  Constellation  was  ready  for  sea  she  left  the  Navy  Yard 
and  dropped  down  the  river  to  Alexandria,  where  I  met 
with  an  accident  which  might  have  ignominously  closed  my 
naval  career.  I  had  been  sent,  in  command  of  a  boat,  to 
the  Navy  Yard  to  obtain  some  necessary  stores,  and  was 
directed  by  the  senior  officer  to  inform  Captain  Stewart, 
on  my  return  to  the  Constellation,  of  the  recently  received 
news  of  the  capture  of  the  English  frigate  Macedonian  by 
the  United  States,  (American  frigate).  On  my  reaching  the 
Constellation  and  reporting  the  news  of  the  latest  victory,  it 
produced  a  natural  exultation,  and  was  celebrated,  in  the 
manner  of  the  day,  by  an  extra  allowance  of  grog  to  the 
crew,  and  by  an  invitation  to  the  steerage,  by  the  ward 
room  officers,  to  join  them  in  a  *  Hip,  hip,  hurrah !'  In 
the  midst  of  the  enjoyment,  I  was  sent  for  to  take  charge 
of  a  boat  to  bring  some  one  from  the  wharf  to  the  ship. 
It  was  blowing  very  fresh,  and  was  intensely  cold.  Whether 
I  had  '  hipped,  hipped,'  too  hard  or  not,  I  can't  say,  but,  in 
stepping  on  the  gangway  ladder  to  descend  into  the  boat,  I 
missed  my  footing  and  pitched  head  foremost  over  the  side. 
Fortunately  for  me  the  boat  was  kept  off  from  the  side 
of  the  ship  to  prevent  her  being  stove  by  the  roughness 
of  the  water ;  and  instead  of  falling  into  the  cutter  and 
breaking  my  neck,  I  plunged  into  the  water.  I  preserved 
sufficient  presence  of  mind  not  to  attempt  to  swim;  but, 
allowing  myself  to  rise  to  the  surface  without  any  further 
effort  than  to  throw  myself  on  my  back  and  float, — fearing 
that  any  other  course  might  bring  me,  with  the  strong  tide 
running,  either  under  the  ship  or  the  boat, — I  was  fortu 
nately  enabled  to  keep  above  water  so  near  the  boat  as  to 


COMMODOKE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  15 

enable  the  crew  to  pull  me  in.  Mortified  by  my  involuntary 
display  of  gymnastics,  I  pushed  off  for  the  shore,  which 
was  a  considerable  distance,  and,  before  I  could  discharge 
the  duty  assigned  me,  suffered  intensely  from  the  cold  which 
had  frozen  my  clothes  into  sheets  of  ice.  The  Constellation 
now  dropped  down  the  Potomac  to  Saint  Mary's,  where 
the  crew  were  assiduously  exercised  at  the  guns  and  at  firing 
at  a  target; — a  necessary  delay,  for  the  number  of  English 
vessels  on  the  ocean  made  it  hazardous  to  rely  on  time 
for  drill  being  afforded  at  sea  before  falling  in  with  an 
antagonist.  The  powder  of  the  Constellation  appeared  to 
be  defective  and  the  ship  was  ordered  to  stop  at  Annapolis, 
and  from  thence  to  proceed  to  Norfolk.  In  executing  this 
order  the  ship  anchored  in  Hampton  Roads." 

Here  the  notes  abruptly  end.  It  is  a  matter  of  sincere 
regret  that  Commodore  Tattnall  did  not  complete  the  auto 
biographical  sketch  thus  happily  begun.  Advanced  age, 
physical  infirmities,  and  an  unavoidable  depression,  caused 
by  terrible  reverses,  rendered  any  protracted  labor  with 
his  pen  peculiarly  burdensome. 

While  the  Constellation  was  lying  abreast  of  Craney  island 
covering  the  fortifications  then  in  process  of  erection  at 
that  place, — the  enemy  being  in  force  in  Hampton  Roads,— 
the  utmost  caution  was  requisite  for  her  protection. 

As  the  manner  in  which  the  frigate  was  prepared  for 
defense,  on  this  occasion,  was  highly  appreciated  for  its 
skillful  and  seaman-like  dispositions,  it  is  thought  worthy 
of  being  particularly  mentioned.  So  writes  Mr.  Cooper 
in  his  History  of  the  Navy  of  the  United  States.*  He 
continues:  "The  Constellation  was  anchored  in  the  middle 
of  the  channel,  which  is  quite  narrow,  and  on  each  side  of 

*  Vol.  ii,  p.  278.    London,  1839. 

4 


16  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES  OF 

her  were  moored  seven  gun-boats,  on  board  of  which  were 
placed  officers  and  men  belonging  to  the  ship.  A  circle 
of  booms,  securely  fastened,  protected  the  gun-boats  from 
being  boarded,  which  would  enable  them  to  maintain  a  flank 
ing  fire  on  all  assailants  of  the  frigate.  The  gun-decks  of  the 
latter  were  housed,  and  the  ports  were  shut  in.  Great  care 
was  taken  that  no  rope  should  be  permitted  to  be  hanging 
over  the  side  of  the  vessel,  the  stern  ladders  were  taken 
away,  and  even  the  gang-way  cleets  were  removed.  Board 
ing  nettings  were  made  of  twenty-one  thread  ratlin-stuff, 
that  had  been  boiled  in  half-made  pitch,  which  rendered 
it  so  hard  as  almost  to  defy  the  knife.  To  give  greater 
security,  nail  rods  and  small  chains  were  secured  to  the 
netting,  in  lines  about  three  feet  apart.  Instead  of  tricing 
to  the  rigging,  this  netting  was  spread  out-board,  towards 
the  yard-arms,  rising  about  twenty-five  feet  above  the  deck. 
To  the  outer  rope,  or  ridge-line  of  the  netting,  were  secured 
pieces  of  kentledge,  with  the  idea  that  by  cutting  the 
tricing  lines  when  the  enemy  should  get  alongside,  his 
boats  and  men  might  be  caught  beneath  by  the  fall  of  the 
weights.  Pieces  of  kentledge  were  also  suspended  forward, 
from  the  sprit-sail-yard,  bow-sprit,  etc,,  etc.,  to  prevent  boats 
from  lying  beneath,  while  the  netting  was  here  hoisted  to 
the  fore-stay.  The  carronades  were  charged  to  the  muzzle 
with  musket  balls,  and  depressed  to  the  nearest  range,  in 
order  to  sweep  the  water  around  the  ship." 

On  three  occasions  did  the  English  fleet  plan  and  attempt 
a  night  attack  upon  the  Constellation  while  in  this  exposed 
situation.  Through  the  vigilance  of  advanced  scout  boats, 
however,  were  those  intentions  discovered ;  and  the  enemy 
perceiving  that  his  approach  was  known,  retired. 

So  soon  as  the  fortifications  were   sufficiently   advanced, 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  17 

and  block  ships  prepared  for  sinking  in  the  channel,  the 
Constellation  was  returned  to  a  place  of  safety.  In  this 
way  did  Midshipman  Tattnall  encounter  his  earliest  naval 
service  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy. 

On  the  20th  of  June,  1813,  the  British  ships  weighed 
anchor  and,  with  the  tide,  ascended  to  the  mouth  of  James' 
river  where,  in  the  afternoon,  they  were  observed  making 
preparations  to  send  up  a  large  force  in  boats.  As  much 
depended  upon  the  proper  defense  of  the  batteries  on 
Craney  island,  Captain  Cassin,  who  commanded  the  naval 
force  at  Norfolk,  ordered  Lieutenants  Neale,  Shubrick,  and 
Sanders,  of  the  Constellation,  with  one  hundred  seamen,  to 
go  on  shore  and  take  charge  of  the  principal  guns.  This 
party  was  sustained  by  Lieutenant  Breckinridge  of  the 
marines,  and  about  fifty  men  of  that  corps.  Most  of  the 
officers  of  the  navy  then  at  Norfolk,  and  who  did  not 
belong  to  the  frigate,  were  also  employed  in  the  gun-boats 
or  about  the  island.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd 
the  enemy  was  discovered  landing  a  large  force  round 
the  point  of  the  Nansemond ;  and,  about  8  A.  M.,  the 
barges  of  the  English  vessels  of  war  attempted  to  land 
in  front  of  Craney  island  at  a  point  where  they  were  safe 
from  the  fire  of  the  gun-boats,  although  exposed  to  that 
of  the  Seamen's  battery.  With  great  precision  and  coolness 
did  Lieutenant  Neale  turn  his  guns  upon  them.  So  effective 
was  his  fire  that,  after  suffering  the  loss  of  three  of  his 
boats,  the  enemy  was  forced  to  retire  baffled  of  his  object.* 
Midshipman  Tattnall  was  then  acting  with,  and  under  the 
orders  of  Lieutenant  Neale,  and  shared  in  the  credit  won 
by  the  officers,  seamen,  and  marines  on  this  occasion  for 
their  steadiness,  discipline,  and  spirit.  He  was  one  of  a 

*  Cooper's  History  of  the  Navy  of  the  United  States,  vol.  n,  pp.  315,  316.    London,  1839. 


18  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

party  of  officers  and  seamen  who,  during  the  progress  of 
the  affair,  waded  out  and  took  possession  of  the  barges 
which  grounded.  One  of  the  barges  sunk  was  the  Centipede, 
so  called  from  the  great  number  of  oars  she  rowed.  She 
was  about  fifty  feet  long  and  carried  seventy-five  men. 
Captain  Hanchett,  of  H.  M.  ship  Diadem,  commanding  and 
leading  the  naval  attack,  narrowly  escaped  capture  by 
leaping  overboard  from  the  Centipede  when  she  was  disabled, 
and  swimming  to  one  of  the  other  boats. 

In  this,  his  first  engagement,  young  Tattnall  gave  mani 
fest  token  of  that  courage,  indifference  to  danger,  and 
brilliant  action,  which  so  signally  characterized  him  during 
his  long  and  honorable  career. 

In  April,  1814,  he  was  ordered  by  Captain  Gordon,  of 
the  Constellation,  to  report  to  Lieutenant  Kennedy,  of  Nor 
folk,  to  assist  in  conveying  sixty  men  from  that  place  to 
Lake  Erie.  Arrived  at  Lake  Erie,  his  further  orders 
were  to  report  for  duty  to  Captain  Sinclair,  of  the  Navy. 
Upon  presenting  himself,  he  was  entrusted  by  Lieutenant 
Kennedy  with  the  sole  conduct  of  the  men.  This  special 
service  was  satisfactorily  performed  and  he  would  probably 
have  remained  with  the  Lake  Erie  squadron  until  the  end 
of  the  war,  but  for  official  treatment  by  his  commanding 
officer  which  he  deemed  unjust,  undignified,  and  the  result 
of  personal  animosity.  It  occurred  on  this  wise :  Mid 
shipman  Tattnall,  then  a  youth  of  eighteen  years,  was 
detailed  to  discover  and  arrest  deserters.  One  of  the  men 
resisted  arrest  and  was  thereupon  chastised  by  Tattnall, 
who  succeeded  in  conquering  and  bringing  him  in.  The 
deserter  had  the  effrontery  to  report  the  chastisement  he 
had  received,  and  to  lodge  a  complaint  against  the  Mid 
shipman.  In  considering  the  matter  his  commanding  offi- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  19 

cer  took  occasion  to  criticise  severely  the  conduct  of,  and 
to  find  fault  with,  Midshipman  Tattnall.  Stung  to  the 
quick  by  the  injustice  of  the  procedure,  and  unable  to 
demand  the  satisfaction  which  he  desired  from  an  officer 
much  his  superior  in  rank,  he  at  once  tendered  his  resigna 
tion  and  was  permitted  to  leave  the  station. 

Proceeding  to  Washington  he  laid  the  facts  of  the  case 
before  ex-Governor  George  M.  Troup,  who  was  then  a 
Senator  from  Georgia.  By  him  was  he  persuaded  to  re 
consider  his  determination  to  quit  the  service.  After  some 
difficulty,  Mr.  Troup  succeeded  in  securing  his  restoration 
to  the  navy.  While  awaiting  the  action  of  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  the  city  of  Washington  Avas  captured  by  the 
English  forces  under  Major  General  Boss  and  Bear  Admiral 
Cockburn.  Attaching  himself,  as  a  volunteer,  to  a  company 
composed  of  the  employes  in  the  Navy  Yard,  Mr.  Tattnall 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Bladensburg.  On  the  retreat 
from  that  disastrous  field,  Mr.  Calvert, — a  prominent  gen 
tleman  of  the  neighborhood, — found  him,  quite  exhausted 
by  rapid  marches  and  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  bathing  his 
inflamed  feet  at  a  spring.  Compassionating  his  youth  and 
suffering  condition,  he  invited  him  to  his  house.  Too  proud 
to  present  himself  as  a  fugitive,  Tattnall  politely,  yet  per 
sistently,  declined  the  generous  invitation,  and,  so  soon  as 
his  present  fatigue  and  pains  were  somewhat  alleviated, 
pursued  his  way,  he  scarcely  knew  whither,  as  the  English 
forces  were  already  well  advanced  in  their  mission  of  de 
vastation  and  ruin.  We  here  recognize  an  early  indication 
of  that  lofty,  self-reliant  spirit  which  attained  such  wonder 
ful  development  in  maturer  years. 


CHAPTEE  THIRD. 

Ordered  to  the  brig  Epervier.  With  Commodore  Decatur  in  the  Medi 
terranean.  Exchanges  into  the  Constellation.  Narrow  escape.  Trans 
ferred  to  the  Ontario.  Enjoys  his  cruise  in  the  Mediterranean.  Ex 
amples  of  his  generosity.  Advanced  to  the  grade  of  Lieutenant  and 
ordered  to  the  Macedonian.  Cruise  in  the  Pacific.  Duel  with  an  offi 
cer  in  Lord  Cochrane's  fleet.  Acts  as  second  to  Midshipman  Pinckney. 
Tattnall's  conduct  in  the  affair.  Challenge  to  English  naval  officers. 
His  courage,  and  nice  sense  of  honor,  both  personal  and  national.  Re 
turns  to  the  United  States. 

On  the  10th  day  of  October,  1814,  Midshipman  Tattnall 
was  ordered  to  the  brig  Epervier,  then  at  Savannah,  Georgia. 
This  vessel  was  a  prize  which  had  been  captured  a  short 
time  previously  by  the  United  States  corvette  Peacock.  In 
her  Tattnall  remained  until  the  termination  of  the  war ; 
seeing  no  sea  service  during  that  period. 

Shortly  after  the  ratification  of  a  treaty  of  peace  with 
England,  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  in  violation  of  the  treaty  of 
1795,  had  committed  violent  outrages  upon  American  com 
merce  within  his  waters.  For  the  chastisement  of  this  pirat 
ical  power  a  fleet  was  rapidly  concentrated  by  the  United 
States  in  the  Mediterranean.  Of  this  squadron  the  Epervier 
formed  one  of  the  vessels,  and  in  her  Tattnall  proceeded  to 
the  scene  of  active  operations.  He  was  present  in  one  or 
two  affairs  of  secondary  moment,  but  the  achievements  of 
the  gallant  Decatur  soon  brought  the  Dey  to  terms  and 
secured  for  the  United  States  indemnity  for  the  past  and 
substantial  pledges  for  the  future.  Peace  being  concluded 
while  the  naval  force  was  concentrated  off  Algiers,  the 
squadron  was  speedily  reduced  and  the  Epervier  ordered 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL. 

/ 

home.  Urged  by  a  brother  officer  who  was  attached  to  the 
Constellation,- — which  vessel  was  to  remain  in  the  Mediterra 
nean, — to  exchange  with  him,  Tattnall  consented.  Appli 
cation  in  form  was  submitted,  and  approved  by  the  com 
manding  officer.  The  exchange  was  effected,  and  the  even 
ing  before  the  Epervier  set  sail  on  her  homeward  bound 
voyage  he  reported  on  board  the  Constellation.  After  pass 
ing  through  the  straits  of  Gibraltar,  that  vessel  was  never 
more  seen  or  heard  of.  She  perished  in  the  wide  ocean, 
and  all  officers  and  men  on  board  were  lost. 
It  does,  indeed,  appear  that 

"  Man's  life  is  all  a  mist,  and  in  the  dark 
Our  fortunes  meet  us." 

After  serving  some  eighteen  months  in  the  Constellation, 
Midshipman  Tattnall  was,  on  the  first  of  January,  1817, 
transferred  to  the  corvette  Ontario,  in  which  he  remained 
on  the  Mediterranean  station  until  towards  the  close  of  the 
year,  when  that  vessel  was  recalled  to  the  waters  of  the 
United  States  and  paid  off.  This  term  of  service  in  the 
Mediterranean  and  its  dependent  seas  was  exceedingly 
attractive  and  profitable  to  our  young  friend,  affording  op 
portunity  for  companionship  with  the  polite  and  the  accom 
plished,  bringing  him  into  intimate  acquaintance  with  classic 
scenes,  and  localities  famous  in  history,  and  introducing 
him  to  the  knowledge  of  various  peoples  and  customs.  With 
keenest  relish  and  genuine  appreciation  did  he  pursue  the 
avenues  of  information  and  improvement  thus  opened.  The 
ameliorating,  elevating,  and  catholic  influences  of  travel  are 
perhaps  best  illustrated  in  the  case  of  an  intelligent,  ob 
servant,  naval  officer. 

A  circumstance  occurred  while  he   was  attached  to  the 


22  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

Ontario  forcibly  illustrating  a  trait  which  characterized 
Commodore  Tattnall  throughout  his  long  life.  A  messmate, 
who  was  anxious  to  leave  the  seivice  and  betake  himself 
to  the  pursuit  of  a  calling  for  which  he  deemed  himself 
better  qualified,  applied  to  him  for  a  loan  of  no  inconsidera 
ble  amount.  Although  a  compliance  with  the  request  would 
cause  no  little  inconvenience  at  this  distant  station,  and 
leave  him,  for  a  time  at  least,  without  the  means  of  enjoy 
ing  the  pleasures  and  advantages  which  offered  their 
attractions  on  every  hand,  Tattnall  supplied  him  with 
the  money  at  the  expense  of  his  own  comfort  and  enjoy 
ment.  His  companion  soon  after  left  the  service,  returned 
to  the  United  States,  and  died  without  having  accomplished 
his  purpose  or  acquired  the  means  requisite  for  returning 
the  sum  borrowed. 

On  another  occasion  he  loaned  a  month's  pay  to  a  brother 
officer,  who  subsequently  quarreled  with  him.  The  dispute 
waxed  warm,  and  so  severely  did  Tattnall  comment  upon 
his  conduct  that,  but  for  the  fact  that  the  ship  was 
at  sea,  a  duel  would  probably  have  ensued.  The  estrange 
ment  still  existing,  as  Midshipman  Tattnall  was  one  day 
standing  in  the  gangway  looking  over  the  side  of  the  ship, 
a  common  friend  approached  and  handed  him,  in  behalf 
of  the  debtor,  the  loan.  Receiving  it,  Tattnall  remarked, 
"Well,  tell  the  gentleman  that  debt  is  paid;"  and,  on  the 
instant,  tossed  the  money  into  the  sea. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  Mediterranean  he  applied 
himself  with  great  assiduity  to  such  studies  as  were 
peculiarly  requisite  to  enable  him  to  stand  with  distinction 
the  examination  for  promotion  to  a  lieutenantcy.  His 
advancement  to  this  grade  occurred  on  the  first  of  April, 
1818,  and  on  the  thirtieth  of  the  following  June  he  was 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  23 

ordered  to  the  frigate  Macedonian  then  fitting  out  for  a 
cruise  in  the  Pacific.  Just  before  he  joined  the  Macedonian 
commenced  an  intimacy  between  himself  and  a  brother 
officer  of  like  age  and  rank  which,  maintained  unimpaired 
through  subsequent  years,  proved  ever  a  source  of  mutual 
and  abiding  happiness.  The  friendship  between  Tattnall 
and  Paulding  was  so  generous,  close,  and  pronounced,  that 
it  was  recognized  throughout  the  entire  American  naval 
service,  and  admired  as  a  pleasing  example  of  pure? 
unselfish,  and  almost  romantic  devotion  between  two  noble 
men  of  heroic,  generous  impulses,  great  hearts,  exalted 
manhood,  cultivated  intellects,  and  kindred  tastes.  For 
more  than  half  a  century  was  this  intimacy  sedulously 
preserved,  and  now  that  death  has  severed  the  personal 
companionship,  by  no  one  is  the  memory  of  the  gallant 
Georgian  more  tenderly  cherished  than  by  his  surviving 
comrade,  Kear  Admiral  Paulding,  of  the  United  States 
Navy.  Together,  as  young  lieutenants,  did  they  join  the 
Macedonian  at  Boston. 

That  frigate  sailed  in  September,  1818,  but,  encountering 
a  severe  hurricane,  was  dismasted  near  the  capes  of  Vir 
ginia.  This  necessitated  her  being  taken  into  Norfolk, 
where  she  was  refitted.  Setting  out  thence  upon  her  cruise, 
she  reached  Valparaiso  in  the  following  May.  Upon  arrival, 
it  was  ascertained  that  the  Chilians  were  equipping  a  fleet 
to  cooperate  in  an  invasion  of  Peru  then  in  the  possession 
of  Spain.  This  fleet  was  commanded  by  Lord  Cochrane, 
an  officer  who,  from  political  and  other  causes,  had  been 
disgraced  in  England  and  cashiered  from  the  British  navy. 
While  an  officer  of  that  navy,  he  had  exhibited  professional 
ability  and  bravery  rarely,  if  ever,  excelled  in  any  service. 

Around  him  he  had  gathered  officers  from  the  United  King- 
5 


24  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES    OF 

dom.  Feelings  of  bitterness  and  enmity  engendered  by  the 
recent  war  between  England  and  the  United  States  were 
still  dominant  in  the  breasts  of  not  a  few  citizens  and 
soldiers  of  those  nationalities.  Occasions  were  not  infre 
quent  upon  which  they  found  open  and  violent  expression. 
Despite  his  early  English  education,  and  the  affection  he 
cherished  for  his  English  relatives,  Lieutenant  Tattnall  could 
not,  with  his  love  of  country  and  her  flag,  brook  the  slightest 
reflection  upon  the  conduct  of  the  young  Republic  or  her 
adherents  during  the  late  contest  upon  sea  and  land.  The 
language  and  conduct  of  one  of  Lord  Cochrane's  officers 
proving  offensive  in  this  regard,  a  challenge  ensued  which 
resulted  in  a  quick  duel  with  pistols : — Tattnall' s  antagonist 
retiring  from  the  field  with  a  bullet  in  his  shoulder. 

After  a  long  cruise,  during  which  various  points  of  interest 
on  the  Pacific  coast  were  visited,  the  Macedonian  returned  to 
the  squadron  headquarters  at  Valparaiso.  The  temper  of 
the  officers  of  the  Anglo-Chilian  fleet  towards  the  officers 
of  the  United  States  navy  there  present  was  still  by  no 
means  cordial  or  agreeable.  Desiring,  as  far  as  practica 
ble,  to  avoid  the  chances  of  a  personal  collision  with  Lord 
Cochrane's  officers,  Lieutenant  Tattnall  seldom  went  on 
shore.  He  accepted,  however,  an  invitation  to  form  one 
of  an  evening  party  at  a  hotel  in  the  city.  Unfortunately 
quite  a  number  of.  Lord  Cochrane's  officers  were  among 
the  guests.  Eichard  Pinckney,  of  South  Carolina, — one  of 
the  older  midshipmen  of  the  Macedonian, — upon  entering 
the  hotel  found  himself  in  the  midst  of  an  assemblage  of 
these  Anglo-Chilian  officers.  An  animated  discussion, — 
during  the  progress  of  which  Pinckney  took  occasion  to 
denounce  Lord  Cochrane, — eventuated  in  a  violent  personal 
quarrel.  Midshipman  Pinckney  challenged  his  opponent, 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  25 

and  a  hostile  meeting  was  immediately  agreed  upon.  Lieu 
tenant  Tattnall  coming  in  at  this  moment,  was  requested 
by  Pinckney  to  act  as  one  of  his  seconds, — it  having  been 
agreed  upon  that  each  principal  should  name  two  friends. 
Armed  with  heavy  ship's  pistols  and  swords,  the  principals, 
accompanied  by  their  seconds,  proceeded  to  the  sea-beach 
of  the  Almandral.  The  moon  was  at  the  full  and  the  night 
was  cloudless.  Hundreds  had  assembled  to  witness  the 
meeting.  Pinckney  having  given  the  challenge,  his  antago 
nist  named  the  distance ; — ten  paces.  It  was  arranged  that 
the  principals  should  wheel  and  fire.  The  requisites  being 
all  adjusted,  the  principals  took  their  positions.  At  that 
critical  moment  one  of  the  English  officer's  seconds  ad 
vanced  and  stated  that  as  his  friend  had  heard  that  Mr. 
Pinckney  was  a  dead  shot  he  declined  fighting  at  ten  paces, 
but  would  fight  at  five  paces.  Pinckney's  friends  insisted 
that  the  duel  should  proceed  upon  the  terms  as  agreed  on, 
and  in  accordance  with  which  the  principals  had  been  al 
ready  posted.  To  this  the  friends  of  the  Englishman  stoutly 
objected ;  and,  amid  the  growing  confusion,  there  appeared 
no  alternative  save  an  acquiescence  in  the  murderous  pro 
position.  At  this  juncture  Lieutenant  Tattnall  walked  up  to 
the  Englishman's  second  who  had  interrupted  the  proceed 
ing,  and  said  to  him  :  "  You  are  a  coward  and  a  scYoundrel, 
and  have  made  all  this  difficulty.  Now  you  shall  first  figlit  me 
at  five  paces"  This  settled  the  controversy.  The  fellow 
backed  down,  asked  TattnalTs  pardon,  and  said  his  friend 
would  fight  Mr.  Pinckney  at  the  distance  of  ten  paces  as 
named.  The  duel  proceeded.  Several  shots  were  exchanged. 
The  clothing  of  both  principals  was  cut,  and  the  Englishman 
wounded.  The  ammunition  being  exhausted,  and  the  police 
threatening  interference,  a  reconciliation  was  brought  about. 


26  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

In  consequence  of  the  promiment  part  which  Lieutenant 
Tattnall  sustained  in  these  difficulties,  the  officers  of  the 
flag  ship  of  the  British  squadron,  then  in  port,  sympa 
thizing  with  their  countrymen  serving  under  Cochrane 
with  the  Chilian  Government,  indulged  in  some  comments 
which  he  did  not  fancy.  He  at  once  sent  them  a  message 
by  a  responsible  party  that  if  his  course  had  in  any 
manner  displeased  them  he  would  be  most  happy  to  fight 
them  of  all  grades  from  the  "cock  pit"  to  the  "cabin 
door/' 

While  at  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso  a  Chilian 
corvette,  lying  near  the  Macedonian,  while  flying  her 
numerous  flags  and  signals  to  dry  them,  hoisted  the 
American  flag  below  the  English.  Upon  seeing  this,  Tatt 
nall  had  a  boat  manned  and,  pulling  along  side  of  the 
corvette,  compelled  the  officer  in  charge  to  run  the  American 
flag  up  to  the  masthead. 

Fear  was  an  emotion  to  which  Commodore  Tattnall, 
from  his  ealiest  years,  was  an  utter  stranger.  Courage 
was  a  marked  attribute  of  his  character.  In  the  discharge 
of  duty  and  in  the  maintenance  of  honor,  both  personal 
and  national,  he  was  utterly  insensible  to  danger  and  reck 
less  of  consequences.  Observant  to  the  last  degree  of  the 
proprieties  of  life,  and  the  rights  of  others,  he  tolerated 
no  infringement  of  his  own.  His  sense  of  honor  was  at  all 
times  most  acute,  and  his  conceptions  of  true  manhood  most 
exalted.  Affable  and  companionable  in  his  intercourse  with 
his  brother  officers  and  friends,  he  never  forgot  his  personal 
dignity  or  suffered  intercourse  to  degenerate  into  unbecom 
ing  familiarity.  Generous  almost  to  a  fault  was  he,  and  yet 
at  all  times  observant  of  his  obligations.  Firm  in  his 
friendships  and  absolutely  truthful  in  all  his  utterances,  he 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  27 

was  in  thought,  word,  and  act  a  noble  example  of  the  brave, 
hightoned  gentleman,  and  gallant,  accomplished  officer. 
Such  were  his  characteristics ;  and,  at  an  early  period,  they 
won  for  him  a  respect  and  an  esteem  which  increased  with 
his  years  and  ascending  rank.  We  should  not  omit  to 
mention  also  that  keen  appreciation  of  right  and  justice, 
and  that  utter  detestation  of  unfairness  and  duplicity, 
which  he  ever  exhibited. 

In  consequence  of  an  official  disagreement  with  his  Cap 
tain,  and  impaired  health,  Lieutenant  Tattnall  obtained 
permission  to  return  to  the  United  States,  and  reached 
home  a  little  in  advance  of  the  Macedonian.  Upon  a  careful 
consideration  of  the  official  attitude  he  assumed  toward  his 
commanding  officer  on  this  occasion,  he  was  fully  exonerated 
by  the  Navy  Department.  The  matter  at  issue  involving  no 
personal  disagreement  did  not  interrupt  the  friendly  rela 
tions  existing  between  these  officers. 


CHAPTER  FOURTH. 


Marries.  Studies  mathematics  at  Partridge's  Military  School.  As  first 
Lieutenant  of  the  schooner  Jackal  engaged  in  the  suppression  of  piracy 
in  the  West  Indies.  Ordered  to  the  frigate  Constitution.  Second 
cruise  in  the  Mediterranean.  Returns  to  the  United  States  in  the 
frigate  JBranctywme.  Assigned  to  the  corvette  Erie.  Admiral  Semmes' 
account  of  Lieutenant  Tattnall's  cutting  out  of  the  Federal.  Tattnall's 
letter  on  the  subject.  Confronts  Commodore  Daniels.  Surveys  the 
Tortugas  and  selects  a  site  for  a  fort.  His  services  complimented  by 
the  President,  and  the  Navy  Department.  Letter  detailing  the  inci 
dents  of  the  survey,  and  the  preparation  of  his  official  report. 

In  1821  Lieutenant  Tattnall  was  married  to  his  cousin, 
a  daughter  of  Ebenezer  Jackson,  Esq.,  who  had  served  with 
distinction  as  an  officer  in  the  revolutionary  army.  His 
wife  was  Miss  Fenwick,  of  South  Carolina,  a  sister  of 
Tattnall's  mother. 

Being  off  duty,  Lieutenant  Tattnall  improved  his  freedom 
from  active  service  during  the  year  1822,  by  taking  up  his 
residence  near  Partridge's  military  school  and  placing  him 
self  under  the  instruction  of  its  professor  of  mathematics. 
His  purpose  was  to  perfect  himself  in  a  knowledge  of  the 
higher  branches  of  a  science  most  useful  and  necessary  to 
one  of  his  calling.  A  twelve  month  was  thus  spent  in  se 
clusion  and  severe  study.  Then  were  securely  laid  the 
foundations  of  a  mathematical  education  which,  subsequently 
enlarged,  enabled  him  to  meet  with  accuracy  and  distinction 
all  the  requirements  of  the  naval  profession.  This  voluntary 
consecration  of  his  leisure  to  earnest  study  at  a  period  of 
life  when  most  young  officers  are  inclined  to  pleasure  and 
amusement,  argues  an  intelligent  apprehension  of  the  scope 


COMMODO&E    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  29 

of  his  professional  requirements,  and  a  laudable  ambition 
to  excel  in  them.  It  may  be  truthfully  affirmed  that  he 
omitted  no  opportunity  for  self-improvement.  While  he 
was  pursuing  his  methematical  studies  he  also  perfected 
himself  in  manly  exercises  and  gentle  accomplishments. 
He  became  one  of  the  best  swordsmen  in  the  navy,  was 
an  expert  boxer,  and  an  admirable  shot  with  pistol,  rifle, 
and  fowling-piece.  Fond  of  exercise,  he  was  a  rapid  and 
enduring  pedestrian,  indulging  in  long  walks  whenever  prac 
ticable.  He  was  never  idle ;  and,  when  not  otherwise  em 
ployed,  was  much  given  to  reading, — his  favorite  books 
being  those  appertaining  to  history,  travel,  and  the  classics. 
In  the  language  of  his  bosom  friend,  Paulding,  he  was  at 
this  period  of  his  life, — and  subsequent  years  brought  no 
change, — "of  a  chaste  and  pure  cast  of  character,  of  high- 
toned  and  chivalric  honor,  gentle  and  generous  to  all  hu 
manity,  with  his  friends  joyous,  guileless,  and  playful,  and, 
when  occasion  called  for  an  exhibition  of  sterner  manhood, 
his  unflinching  nerve  knew  no  fear." 

In  1822  a  squadron  of  light  and  fast  sailing  vessels  was 
fitted  out  and  its  command  conferred  upon  Commodore 
Porter.  This  fleet  was  directed  to  cruise  among  the  islands 
of  the  West  Indies  for  the  suppression  of  piracy,  which 
had  become  very  common  and  annoying  in  those  waters. 
To  the  schooner  Jackal  of  this  force  was  Tattnall  ordered 
as  first  Lieutenant.  She  sailed  from  Norfolk  in  1823.  Upon 
the  appearance  of  Commodore  Porter's  command  among 
the  Islands,  the  piratical  rovers  speedily  withdrew.  The 
Jackal  captured  no  prey  and  her  cruise  was  uneventful. 

The  following  year  Lieutenant  Tattnall  was  ordered  to 
the  frigate  Constitution,  then  fitting  out  for  the  Mediterranean. 
In  this  vessel,  which  bore  the  flag  of  Commodore  Thomas 


30  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

McDonough,  he  sailed  for  that  station.  This  service, — 
which  was  marked  by  nothing  of  special  moment, — afforded 
most  enjoyable  opportunity  for  confirming  the  impressions 
of,  and  enlarging  the  acquaintance  with  the  shores  and 
classic  haunts  of  the  Mediterranean  which  he  had  so 
happily  formed  on  the  occasion  of  his  first  visit.  During 
its  continuance  all  hours  of  leisure  were  devoted  to  general 
reading  and  a  personal  inspection  of  localities  possessing 
historic  note.  Much  benefit  did  he  derive  from  this  cruise. 
His  reputation  as  an  officer  grew  day  by  day.  His  bear 
ing  as  a  cultivated,  dignified  gentleman  was  pronounced. 
With  his  associates  of  all  grades  his  popularity  was 
unquestioned.  He  was  already  one  of  the  marked  officers 
of  the  United  States  Navy.  With  Commodore  McDonough 
his  relations  were  of  the  most  cordial  character ;  and  he 
was  selected  by  the  officers  of  the  flag-ship  to  break  to 
the  Commodore  the  afflictive  intelligence  of  the  death  of 
his  wife. 

Commodore  McDonough  being  in  delicate  health,  and 
much  oppressed  by  this  great  sorrow,  sailed  for  the  United 
States,  leaving  the  flag-ship  Constitution  still  upon  the 
station.  After  his  departure  Lieutenant  Tattnall  was  ordered 
to  the  frigate  Brandywine,  in  which  vessel  he  returned  home 
in  1826. 

After  the  customary  leave  of  absence,  on  the  first  of 
October,  1828,  he  received  orders  to  report  as  first  Lieu 
tenant  to  Commander  Turner,  on  board  the  corvette  Erie, 
then  attached  to  the  West  India  squadron.  While  serving 
in  her  he  materially  added  to  his  reputation  as  an  active 
officer  of  conspicuous  merit.  As  the  first  Lieutenant  of 
the  corvette  he  claimed  the  honor  of  commanding  a  cutting 
out  expedition,  successfully  conducted,  the  details  of  which 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  31 

are   given   by  Admiral   Raphael   Semmes   in   the   following 
"  Recollections  of  the  late  Josiah  Tattnall:" 

"I  first  became  acquainted  with  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
in  the  year  1828.  I  was  a  young  Midshipman,  and  Tattnall  a 
Lieutenant  in  the  United  States  Navy.  Only  fourteen  years 
had  elapsed  since  we  had  come  out  of  our  late  war  with 
Great  Britain,  and  much  of  the  chivalry  and  daring  which 
had  been  begotten  by  that  war  still  remained  among  the 
officers  of  the  navy.  The  navy  was,  at  this  time,  a  fine 
school  for  discipline  and  for  the  cultivation  of  all  the  noble 
and  manly  traits  of  the  sailor,  and  we  had  in  it  some  as 
fine  specimens  of  the  naval  officer,  probably,  as  any  pre 
vious  age  had  produced.  Prominent  among  these  was 
Josiah  Tattnall.  I  remember  him  well,  at  the  period  of 
which  I  speak.  He  was  the  first  Lieutenant  of  the  sloop-of- 
war  Erie  of  twenty-two  guns.  The  Erie  (as  were  all  the 
vessels  of  the  navy  in  that  day)  was  a  sailing  ship,  and  the 
science  and  art  of  seamanship  were  the  idols  of  the  profes 
sion.  Tattnall  excelled  in  both.  He  handled  his  ship  like 
a  toy  in  all  kinds  of  weather,  was  always  at  his  post  in 
times  of  danger,  and  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree  the  con 
fidence  of  both  men  and  officers.  He  was  in  the  prime  of 
life,  being  about  thirty-five  years  of  age,  active,  energetic, 
and  enterprising.  If  there  was  an  expedition  of  any  kind 
to  be  fitted  out,  Tattnall  always  claimed  his  right  to  lead 
it.  Piracy  still  lingered  in  the  West  Indies,  and  I  remem 
ber  to  have  been  one  of  a  boat  expedition  to  scour  the 
coasts  and  keys  of  Cuba  under  his  command.  We  did  not 
fall  in  with  any  enemy,  but  that  was  not  Tattnall's  fault ; 
for  he  kept  his  boats  constantly  moving,  and  reminded 
me  of  some  gallant  Knight  of  old,  always  eager  for  the 
fray ;  and,  as  night  would  fall  upon  his  labors  after  a  fruit- 


32  THE  LIFE   AND   SEBVICES   otf 

less  search  for  his  enemy,  he  would  exhibit  all  the  signs 
of  a  man  who  had  been  foiled  in  a  darling  purpose.  He 
was  at  this  period  of  his  life  social  in  his  habits  and  dis 
position,  warmly  attaching  to  himself  all  those  with  whom 
he  had  intercourse.  Like  most  men  of  his  ardent  tempera 
ment,  he  was  at  times  irascible,  but  his  high  sense  of  honor 
never  permitted  him  to  remain  long  in  the  wrong  when  he 
had  given  offense.  The  Erie,  when  ready  for  sea,  took 
on  board  General  William  H.  Harrison,  afterwards  President 
of  the  United  States,  and  proceeded  with  him  to  the  United 
States  of  Colombia,  to  which  government  he  had  been 
appointed,  by  President  Adams,  Minister  Plenipotentiary. 
On  our  way  to  our  port  of  destination  we  stopped  on  the 
island  of  Saint  Bartholomew,  in  the  West  Indies,  where 
it  so  happened  that  Tattnall  had  an  opportunity  to  gratify 
his  love  of  adventure.  Spain  was  then  at  war  with  her 
numerous  South  American  dependencies,  and  a  number  of 
our  countrymen  had  fitted  out  fast  sailing  vessels,  and  taken 
commissions  as  privateers  in  the  service  of  the  embryo- 
republics.  One  of  these  cruisers,  called  the  Federal,  in 
the  service  of  Buenos  Ayres,  incautiously  captured  an 
American  ship  with  some  Spanish  property  on  board,  and, 
in  disregard  of  the  principle  that  'free  ships  make  free 
goods,'  took  the  goods  out  of  her  as  prize  of  war.  Our 
Commander,  Daniel  Turner, — himself  a  fine  specimen  of 
a  gallant  naval  officer, — on  learning  these  facts  demanded 
that  the  Governor  of  the  Island  should  deliver  to  him 
the  Federal, — then  lying  under  the  guns  of  the  fortress, — 
to  pay  the  penalty  of  this  breach  of  the  laws  of  nations. 
The  demand  was  refused,  and  a  boat  expedition  to  cut  her 
out  was  the  consequence.  A  few  hours  of  preparation  were 
all  that  was  needed.  Everybody  volunteered,  but  all  could 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  33 

not  go.  The  expedition  was  delayed  until  night-fall.  The 
night  was  propitious.  There  was  no  moon,  and  the  passing 
of  rain-clouds  at  intervals  added  to  the  darkness.  The 
boats,  with  muffled  oars,  pulled  steadily  to  the  little  priva 
teer  lying  almost  at  the  very  muzzles  of  the  guns  of  the 
fort.  There  was  some  difficulty  in  getting  the  anchor,  and, 
as  the  head-sails  were  hoisted  to  pay  the  little  craft  off 
before  the  land  breeze  which  was  then  blowing,  the  fort 
opened  upon  Tattnall ;  but  just  then,  as  good  luck  would 
have  it,  his  anchor  tripped,  his  craft  paid  off  in  gallant 
style,  and  in  a  few  minutes  more  he  was  effectually  shielded 
by  the  distance  and  the  darkness  combined.  The  fort  fired 
several  times,  but  no  one  was  injured.  The  Federal  was 
sent  as  prize  of  war  to  Pensacola,  and  I  was  promoted 
to  the  honors  of  a  watch  officer  to  assist  in  taking  her  in. 
The  cruise  of  the  Erie  ended  after  a  few  months,  and  we 
were  dispersed  by  other  orders  to  other  ships,  carrying 
with  us  many  cherished  recollections  of  our  late  companions. 
Time  rolled  on,  and  I  saw  nothing  more  of  Tattnall  until 
we  met  during  the  Mexican  war." 

As  illustrating  his  characteristic  modesty,  always  observed 
when  communicating  even  to  those  nearest  and  dearest  to 
him  any  intelligence  of  events  in  which  he  had  been  a 
prominent  actor,  we  take  the  liberty  of  introducing  the 
following  private  letter : 

"  UNITED  STATES  SHIP  ERIE,  AT  SEA, 

"  OFF  ST.  CROIX,  9th  December,  1828. 
"MY  DEAR  ****; 

"I  wrote  you  from  St.  Barts,  a  day  or  two  since,  and 
yesterday  I  wrote  E***  from  St.  Martins.  By  the  last 
you  will  find  that  we  ended  our  negotiation  with  the  au- 


34  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

thorities  of  St.  Barts  very  suddenly  with  a  Jackson  argu 
ment.  Our  prize  is  now  in  company  with  us,  but  will  part 
from  us  to-night  for  Pensacola.  I  had  at  first  determined 
to  take  her  in  myself,  bat  the  Captain  wishes  me  to  remain 
on  board  the  Erie  for  reasons  too  flattering  to  me  not  to 
induce  me,  at  once,  to  abandon  my  determination.  We 
are  now  on  our  way  to  Curracoa,  Maracaibo,  and  Pensacola. 
We  shall,  I  hope,  be  at  the  last  place  in  a  month.  I  have 
nothing  new  to  tell  you.  I  am  quite  well,  and  so  much 
pleased  with  my  situation  on  board  that  I  cannot  be  more 
so.  My  cruise  has,  as  yet,  been,  and  promises  to  continue, 
a  delightful  one.  Even  the  little  trifling  affair  at  St.  Barts 
has  been  worth  'ten  years  of  peaceful  life.'  Its  influence 
is  shown  throughout  the  whole  ship,  and  the  belief  that, 
even  in  these  dull  times,  there  is  a  possibility  of  seeing  some 
service  more  exciting  than  mere  making  and  taking  in  sail, 
has  given  us  something  of  a  war  animation.  Captain 
Turner  told  me,  in  a  delicate  manner  yesterday,  that  in 
his  communication  to  the  Department  he  had  made  known 
fully  to  it  the  difficulties  I  had  to  surmount  in  bringing  out 
the  vessel.  Don't  mention  this  out  of  the  family,  and  only 
to  those  of  the  family  who  you  think  will  not  retail  it.  Say 
nothing  of  it  when  you  write  to  Boston.  I  only  mention 
it  to  you  as  I  know  it  will  give  you  pleasure  to  learn  that 
a  perfect  confidence  is  established  between  Captain  Turner 
and  myself,  which  will  insure  to  me  a  pleasant  cruise. 

"Bemember  me  at  both  houses.  Tell  Sawyer  I  wrote 
him  from  St.  Barts.  Kemember  me  to  the  Alsops,  and 
believe  me  *  *  * 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL." 

In  the  capture  of  the  Federal,  Lieutenant  Tattnall  gave 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  35 

grave  offense  to  the  reckless  men, — Americans  and  foreign 
ers, — who  had  sought  and  taken  service  under  the  flags 
of  the  South  American  States  in  revolution  against  the 
Crown  of  Spain.  This  umbrage  was  by  no  means  diminished 
by  the  very  plain  and  emphatic  manner  in  which  he  con 
demned  the  conduct  of  Commodore  Daniels, — in  the  service 
of  one  of  these  South  American  States, — in  trespassing 
upon  the  rights  of  United  States  merchant  vessels.  This 
Commodore  Daniels  sent  Lieutenant  Tattnall  a  message 
from  Baltimore  threatening  to  chastise  him  on  sight.  On 
receipt  of  this  communication  Tattnall  at  once  set  out  for 
that  city.  Arrived  at  Barnum's  Hotel,  one  of  the  first 
persons  he  met  was  the  veritable  Commodore  Daniels  stand 
ing  with  a  crowd  of  friends  about  him.  No  sooner  did  he 
recognize  Lieutenant  Tattnall,  than  he  turned  about  and 
left.  Although  Tattnall  remained  in  Baltimore  for  several 
days,  making  a  point  of  it  to  show  himself  in  public  and 
at  places  of  general  resort,  he  heard  and  saw  nothing 
more  of  the  Commodore,  who  did  not  chastise  him  on  sight. 
Detached  from  the  Erie  on  the  10th  of  August,  1829,  he 
was,  on  the  17th  of  the  same  month,  placed  in  charge  of 
a  survey  of  the  Tortugas  reefs,  off  the  coast  of  Florida. 
Urged  by  the  Southern  members  of  Congress,  and  by  those 
representing  the  maritime  States  of  the  North,  it  was  re 
solved  by  the  General  Government  to  construct  a  fortress 
which  would  practically  command  the  channel  between 
Florida  and  Cuba,  and  cover  an  anchorage  suitable  either 
for  refuge  or  for  offensive  naval  operations.  The  location 
of  such  a  work  involved  a  careful  preliminary  survey  and 
the  exercise  of  sound  military  judgment.  The  selection 
of  Lieutenant  Tattnall  for  the  duty  was  most  judicious,  and 
was  a  tribute  to  his  acknowledged  abilities.  As  the  reefs  and 


36  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

keys  were  at  the  time  uninhabited,  and  the  vessels  employed 
were  inferior  schooners  and  poorly  supplied,  the  officers  and 
men  engaged  in  the  survey  suffered  no  little  discomfort. 
Patiently  and  most  thoroughly  was  the  labor  performed, 
and  the  result  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  government. 
Upon  the  completion  of  the  survey  Lieutenant  Tattnall 
repaired  to  Washington  and  submitted  his  report.  The 
locality  suggested  for  the  construction  of  the  fortress  was 
approved,  and  President  Jackson  evinced  much  interest  in 
the  early  commencement  and  vigorous  prosecution  of  the 
work.  Summoned  to  attend  a  Cabinet  meeting  that  he 
might  satisfy  any  inquiries  which  might  arise,  he  found 
the  President  on  bended  knee  carefully  examining  the  large 
charts  spread  upon  the  floor.  Both  by  the  President  and 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  was  he  highly  complimented 
for  his  intelligent  and  valuable  services  in  this  behalf.  The 
site  selected  having  received  official  sanction,  the  fortress 
was  built  in  due  course,  and  by  its  presence  still  attests 
the  utility  of  this  survey  and  the  excellent  judgment  of 
the  officer  under  whose  supervision  it  was  conducted. 

In  the  following  letter  are  detailed  the  circumstances 
attendant  upon  the  preparation  and  submission  of  the  re 
port  which  justified  the  General  Government  in  fortifying 
the  Dry  Tortugas  : 

"WASHINGTON  CITY,  2d  March,  1830. 

"DEAR****: 

"Have  you  thought  me  dead,  or  have  you  thought  me 
alive  and  that  I  had  forgotten  you? 

"  For  the  first  time  since  I  arrived  here  I  have  a  moment's 
leisure.  You  can  have  no  idea  of  the  miserable  state  of 
anxiety  I  have  been  in.  I  found,  on  my  arrival,  that  the 


COMMODOKE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  3? 

service  on  which  I  had  been  engaged  had,  in  my  absence, 
become  one  of  so  much  consequence  that  I  have  been 
startled  at  the  responsibility  which  awaited  me.  It  has 
been  the  theme  of  our  Southern  members,  who,  for  many 
reasons,  are  anxious  to  see  a  fortress  established  on  the 
Florida  reef,  and  I  found  the  President,  Secretary,  and 
Commissioners  so  anxious  to  receive  the  report  that  I  con 
fess  I  was  apprehensive  of  my  abilities  not  having  equalled 
their  expectations.  I  was  about  to  give  in  a  report  which 
might  subject  me  to  newspaper  and  other  criticism,  and 
you  may  (as  you  know  me  well)  feel  how  anxiously  my 
time  has  been  employed.  The  life  we  led  at  the  Tortugas 
was  so  miserable  that  I  could  only  make  general  notes  on 
the  subjects  to  which  my  attention  was  directed  by  the 
Department,  and  I  have  been  employed,  night  and  day, 
since  I  have  been  here,  in  writing  my  journal  and  making 
my  report.  I  am  still  employed  on  the  former.  The  latter 
I  handed  in  to-day.  It  is  highly  favorable  to  the  occupa 
tion  of  the  Tortugas,  and  the  Secretary  on  reading  it  com 
plimented  me  by  saying  that  it  was  an  excellent  report, 
which  he  should  make  the  very  best  use  of,  and  that  it 
had  thrown  light  upon  the  subject  which  the  Government 
had  not  possessed  before.  He  walked  with  Mr.  Gedney 
and  myself  to  the  President,  who,  on  examining  the  chart 
and  reading  the  report,  expressed  himself  in  the  most  flat 
tering  terms.  As  soon  as  the  journal  is  finished  a  report 
will,  no  doubt,  be  made  to  Congress  on  the  subject.  All  this 
egotism,  however,  is  for  the  ears  of  the  two  houses  and  no 
others.  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL." 


CHAPTER  FIFTH. 


In  command  of  the  Grampus.  Saves  an  American  vessel,  and  renders 
valuable  service  to  British  shipping.  Captures  the  Montezuma.  His 
account  of  that  capture.  Cholera  on  board  the  Grampus.  Relieves  an 
American  vessel  detained  in  Mexican  waters.  Complimented  by  mer 
chants  and  Insurance  Companies.  Assigned  to  special  service  in  com 
mand  of  the  barque  Pioneer.  Escorts  Santa  Anna  to  Vera  Cruz.  His 
conduct  upon  the  arrival  of  the  President  in  that  city.  Promoted  to 
the  grade  of  Commander,  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  Boston  Navy 
Yard.  In  command  of  the  corvette  Fairfield,  and  again  in  the  Medi 
terranean.  Official  difficulty  with  Commodore  Morgan.  Assigned  to 
the  command  of  the  corvette  Saratoga.  Official  letter  describing  the 
disaster  encountered  by  that  ship.  Congratulatory  letters  from  brother 
officers. 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1831,  Lieutenant  Tattnall  was 
ordered  to  the  command  of  the  Grampus,  a  large  top-sail 
schooner,  and  assigned  to  duty  in  the  West  Indies  and 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  July  of  that  year  found  him  with 
his  vessel  off  the  mouth  of  the  river  Brazos,  on  the  coast 
of  Texas,  observing  the  movements  of  the  Mexican  squadron 
which  was  operating  against  that  State  then  in  revolt 
against  Mexico.  The  naval  authorities  of  the  Spanish 
American  Governments  appeared  to  court  a  difficulty  with 
the  United  States  by  an  unauthorized  interference  with 
our  merchant  ships.  Although  the  Mexican  men-of-war 
at  this  time  and  place  gave  no  occasion  for  armed  inter 
vention,  the  arrival  of  the  Grampus  was  opportune  in  that 
it  enabled  Lieutenant  Tattnall  to  save  an  American  vessel 
which  got  on  shore  among  the  breakers,  and  which,  but 
for  this  timely  assistance,  would  inevitably  have  gone  to 


COMMODORE    JOSlAH  TATTNALL.  39 

pieces.  Services  of  consequence,  rendered  about  this  time 
by  Lieutenant  Tattnall  to  British  subjects,  were  cordially 
acknowledged,  with  official  thanks,  by  the  English  Admiral 
commanding  the  naval  forces  of  the  Crown  on  the  North 
American  station. 

In  August  of  the  following  year,  while  the  Grampus  was 
again  at  anchor  off  the  Texas  coast,  an  American  vessel 
arrived,  whose  Captain  reported  to  Lieutenant  Tattnall  that 
the  Mexican  war-schooner  Montezuma  had  overhauled  and 
boarded  her  at  sea.  He  further  stated  that  the  Mexican 
Captain  had  treated  himself  and  crew  most  shamefully, 
and  had  robbed  his  vessel  of  many  valuable  articles.  The 
Grampus  was  got  under  way  immediately  and  commenced 
beating  up  for  Tampico  bar, — the  Montezuma  being  sixty 
miles  to  windward  and  having  a  start  of  twenty-four  hours. 
Notwithstanding  these  disadvantages  she  reached  Tampico 
bar  two  days  ahead  of  the  Mexican  vessel  and  captured 
her  within  gunshot  of  another  vessel  of  the  same  nationality 
and  of  like  force,  and  in  full  view  of  the  Mexican  forts. 
The  Montezuma  had  a  crew  of  seventy-six  men  on  board, 
and  was  armed  with  one  heavy  pivot  gun  and  two  pieces 
of  lighter  calibre.  We  present  this  spirited  letter  which 
vividly  recalls  the  gallant  exploit,  and  conveys  a  definite 
conception  of  the  disagreeable  results  attendant  upon  the 
capture : 

"  UNITED  STATES  SCHOONER  GRAMPUS 
"AT  SEA,  18th  August,  1832. 

"DEAR****: 

"  I  am  at  last  on  my  way  to  the  Balize  to  land  the  money 
I  have  on  board,  from  whence   I  am  not  so  sure  but  I  shall 

sail  for  New  York. 

7 


40  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OE 

"  Eight  days  since  I  was  at  anchor  off  Matamoras  (Brazos 
de  St.  Jago),  when  an  American  schooner  (the  William  A. 
Turner,  of  New  York,)  anchored  near  me,  and  the  Captain 
informed  me  that  the  previous  day  his  vessel  had  been 
boarded  and  himself  and  crew  shamefully  treated  by  the 
Mexican  schooner  Montezuma,  which  robbed  him  of  a  num 
ber  of  articles.  The  Montezuma  was  sixty  miles  to  wind 
ward  of  me,  and  had  twenty-four  hours'  start,  and  that  (as 
she  was  bound  to  Tampico)  in  the  short  distance  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  miles.  Trusting,  however,  to  good 
fortune,  or  what  is  better  with  so  ill-starred  a  man  as  my 
self,  to  the  speed  of  my  good  schooner,  I  started  for  Tampico 
in  the  forlorn  hope  of  cutting  her  off  and  capturing  her. 
In  this  I  completely  succeeded,  beating  her,  with  all  her 
advantages  of  time  and  distance,  two  days.  I  beat  up  in 
four  days  against  a  strong  current,  and,  on  the  second  day 
after  our  arrival,  had  the  gratification  to  make  the  Monte 
zuma  haul  down  her  colors  in  the  very  mouth  of  her  in 
tended  port,  in  sight  of  the  forts,  and  in  gun  shot  of  another 
Mexican  schooner  at  anchor  off  the  harbor.  The  place 
and  manner  of  capture  were  peculiarly  fortunate,  as  it  will, 
of  course,  (occurring  so  near  them)  be  the  subject  of  con 
versation  with  all  classes  at  Tampico,  and  may  cool  any 
buccaneering  propensities  which  their  cruisers  may  enter 
tain.  The  Mexican  armed  schooner  outside,  too,  (one  of 
the  same  squadron)  is  bound  to  Yera  Cruz,  and  will,  as 
an  eye  witness,  spread  the  news  in  that  direction,  so  that 
the  benefits  to  our  commerce  resulting  from  the  capture 
will  be  spread  all  along  the  coast. 

"  This  is  the  pleasant  part  of  the  business.  Now  for  the 
unpleasant.  I  took  seventy-six  prisoners  in  the  Montezuma, 
all  but  five  of  whom  are  now  on  board.  Among  them  are 


COMMODOEE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  41 

forty  soldiers  (MEXICAN  SOLDIERS  !)  and  three  women,  and 
such  a  dirty,  miserable,  wretched  scum  of  creation  I  never 
saw  before.  They  have  filled  us,  fore  and  aft,  with  1 — e, 
and,  (the  weather  is  hot  enough  without  such  an  occupation) 
this  keeps  us  scratching  from  morning  till  night.  I  heard 
a  poor  fellow  describe  the  effect  this  morning  laughably  : 
' They  don't  jump,'  said  he,  'like  a  flea,  but  when  they  crawl 
down  my  back  they  feel  like  a  rasp  ;  by  -  — ,  they  bite  with 
all  four  legs !' 

"We  are  short  of  water;  have  but  eight  days'  meat  on 
board,  and  but  two  days'  bread ;  no  cheese,  no  rice,  no 
flour,  no  comforts  of  any  kind ;  and  one  hundred  and  forty 
odd  hungry  mouths  to  feed.  I  must,  however,  in  eight 
and  forty  hours  be  in  the  way  of  falling  in  with  vessels 
to  and  from  the  Mississippi.  I  shall  keep  this  open  until 
I  do. 

"Don't  allow  anything  to  be  published  in  consequence 
of  this  letter,  as  the  Department  will,  no  doubt,  publish 
the  matter  officially.  I  got  a  letter  from  Boerum,  dated  the 
20th  ultimo,  at  Havana.  He  tells  me  that  he  has  twenty- 
five  letters  for  me,  which,  of  course,  now  I  shall  miss  re 
ceiving  as  he  was  about  sailing  for  Campeche  and  Yera 
Crnz,  and  I  shall,  without  doubt,  take  my  prisoners  to  some 
State  to  the  northward  of  Florida.  The  Montezuma  mounts 
three  guns  (one  on  a  pivot)  and  had  seventy-six  souls  on 
board. 

"  24TH  AUGUST. 

"  I  am  just  entering  the  southwest  pass  of  the  Mississippi. 
We  have  been  brought  down  to  two  ounces  and  a  half  of 
bread  dust  a  day,  but  we  are  all  well,  and  are  filing  our 
teeth  for  a  supper  to-night.  I  shall  not  go  into  the  river, 
so  don't  be  uneasy.  Until  I  hear  from  the  District  Attorney 


42  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

I  cannot  determine  to  what  port  to  return.  As  soon  as  I 
do  determine,  I  will  let  you  know.  Good  God !  how  long 
it  appears  since  I  heard  from  home.  Tell  my  children 
how  much  I  love  them.  More  when  at  leisure.  At  present 
I  have  not  closed  my  eyes  for  thirty-six  hours,  and  I  feel 
as  though  a  1 — se  of  twelve  legs  might  bite  me  with  im 
punity.  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL," 

While  on  her  way  to  land  her  prisoners  in  some  of  the 
Southern  ports  of  the  United  States,  cholera  broke  out  on 
board  the  Grampus.  Pensacola  affording  the  nearest  har 
bor,  she  ran  in  there  and  put  her  crew  on  shore  in  the  Naval 
Yard  until  she  could  be  thoroughly  cleansed  and  disinfected. 
This  done,  Tattnall  sailed  for  Tampico.  The  Mexicans  were 
then  detaining  an  American  vessel  which  had  taken  on 
board  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  in  specie,  for  transpor 
tation  to  the  United  States.  Anxious  to  seize  the  money, 
a  pretext  was  gotten  up  for  holding  the  vessel.  Pending 
the  maturity  of  the  rascally  proceedings,  the  vessel  was 
anchored,  in  charge  of  officers  of  the  customs,  under  the 
guns  of  the  Mexican  fort.  Learning  the  facts  of  the  case, 
Tattnall  proceeded  in  his  boats  over  the  bar,  took  the  vessel 
from  the  hands  of  the  Mexicans,  brought  her  out,  and 
convoyed  her  off  the  coast  and  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
Mexican  cruisers. 

During  his  term  of  service  on  this  station,  Lieutenant- 
Commandant  Tattnall  rendered  efficient,  protective  aid  to 
the  English  merchants  at  Vera  Cruz,  which  drew  from  them 
a  warm  letter  of  thanks.  By  the  Presidents  of  various 
Marine  Insurance  Companies  in  New  Orleans  was  he  simi 
larly  complimented  for  the  protection  afforded  to  property 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  43 

covered  by  their  policies.  Their  letters  of  acknowledgment 
were  accompanied  by  a  handsome  service  of  silver,  in  sub 
stantial  token  of  their  appreciation  of  his  good  offices  in 
behalf  of  American  vessels  in  the  waters  of  the  Gulf. 

At  his  own  request  he  was,  in  December,  1832,  relieved 
from  the  command  of  the  Grampus.  During  the  ensuing 
two  years  he  was  assigned  to  several  details,  among  which 
may  be  mentioned  experiments  in.  ordnance,  and  the  conduct 
of  a  tidal  survey. 

In  November,  1835,  upon  the  application  of  Commodore 
Thomas  Ap  Catesby  Jones,  he  was  detailed  to  the  command 
of  the  barque  Pioneer, — a  member  of  the  squadron  forming 
the  United  States  Exploring  Expedition  to  the  South  Seas. 
Circumstances  to  which  we  need  not  allude  caused  an  entire 
change  in  the.  detail  of  the  commanding  officers  of  this 
expedition.  Previous,  however,  to  these  changes,  Tattnall 
was  ordered  by  the  Navy  Department,  with  the  vessel  he 
was  then  commanding,  upon  a  special  service.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  the  war  which  the  Texans  were  then 
waging  for  independence  culminated  in  the  decisive  victory 
over  the  Mexicans  at  San  Jacinto.  Santa  Anna  who,  in 
person,  commanded  the  army  of  Mexico,  was  there  taken 
prisoner.  Embarrassed  by  the  presence  of  their  distin 
guished  captive,  and  fearing  his  assassination  by  friends  of 
those  who  by  his  bloody  command  had  been  barbarously 
shot  to  death  in  cold  blood  at  the  Alamo,  the  authorities  of 
Texas  sent  him  to  the  United  States  and  turned  him  over 
to  the  Government  at  Washington.  It  was  at  once  resolved 
by  the  United  States  to  send  him  back  to  Mexico,  and 
Tattnall  was  selected  to  execute  this  mission. 

President  Santa  Anna  and  his  principal  aid, — General 
Almonte, — having  been  received  on  board  the  Pioneer,  then 


44  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES    OF 

lying  at  Norfolk,  Tattnall  at  once  proceeded  to  sea,  bound 
for  Yera  Cruz.  These  gentlemen  fully  appreciated  the 
danger  they  were  incurring  in  returning  to  Mexico  under 
existing  circumstances.  Defeated  in  a  general  engagement 
which  compassed  the  liberation  of  a  State  whose  open  re 
bellion  he  was  seeking  to  crush, — the  army  upon  which  he 
mainly  relied  for  the  maintenance  of  his  supremacy  and  the 
perpetuation  of  his  political  power  scattered  by  the  fol 
lowers  of  General  Houstoun, — with  but  a  single  companion, 
and  about  to  be  returned  in  weakness  and  misfortune  to 
his  country, — Santa  Anna  was  under  the  impression  that 
his  rivals  and  enemies  would  cause  him  to  be  shot  down 
so  soon  as  he  landed  at  Vera  Cruz.  In  this  conviction 
General  Almonte  fully  shared.  His  only  hope  of  salvation 
lay  in  the  protecting  presence  of  Lieutenant  Tattnall  in 
the  full  uniform  of  an  officer  of  the  United  States  Navy. 
To  his  honor,  however,  be  it  said,  he  gave  no  expression 
to  this  trust,  nor  did  he  allow  his  aid  to  allude  to  it  in  the 
hearing  of  any  one.  Divining  the  thought,  However,  and 
appreciating  the  exigency  of  the  situation,  Tattnall  deter 
mined  to  afford  him  whatever  countenance  and  relief  his 
presence  might  command.  Upon  coming  to  anchor,  the 
news  was  quickly  spread  through  Vera  Cruz  that  the  former 
President  of  the  Republic  was  on  board,  and  would  soon 
land.  Crowds  collected  on  the  mole,  and  several  regiments 
were  soon  formed  in  its  vicinity.  The  city  was  astir  with 
excitement.  In  the  language  of  an  eye-witness  "matters 
looked  squally."  The  unstable  elements  were  in  violent 
commotion  and  no  one  could  foretell  the  result.  As  he 
was  on  the  eve  of  leaving  the  ship,  Lieutenant  Tattnall,  in 
full  uniform,  taking  Santa  Anna  by  the  arm  said  :  "  General, 
I  will  see  you  to  your  hotel."  His  escort  was  gladly  ac- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  45 

cepted.  As  they  stepped  from  the  barge  upon  the  wharf 
and  walked  up,  arm  in  arm,  there  ensued  a  profound  silence 
in  the  multitude  of  late  so  vociferous  and  swayed  by  con 
flicting  emotions.  As  they  approached  the  soldiery,  a 
change  appeared  to  come  over  their  thoughts  and  purposes. 
The  salute  was  given,  the  bands  struck  up,  and  the  colors 
drooped  amidst  the  most  enthusiastic  vivas  from  soldiers, 
citizens,  and  rabble.  So  impressed  was  every  one  with 
the  bold,  manly  manner  in  which  this  entrance  was  made 
into  the  city,  that  the  resolution  formed  in  advance  to  shoot 
the  returning  President  on  sight  was  converted  into  an  en 
thusiastic  welcome.  General  Almonte  afterwards  stated 
that  the  uniform  and  companionship  of  Lieutenant  Tattnall, 
and  the  fearlessness  of  the  entire  proceeding  saved  Santa 
Anna  from  the  apprehended  calamity,  and  compassed  the 
wonderful  revulsion  of  sentiment  in  the  masses  then  present. 
In  the  language  of  one*  who  witnessed  the  proceeding : 
"Tattnall  knew  at  the  time  the  danger  of  the  move,  but 
danger  seemed  always  a  welcome  guest  to  him.  He  was 
made  a  lion  of  in  Vera  Cruz." 

Beholding  Lieutenant  Tattnall  attending  their  President 
as  though  escorting  him  under  instructions  from  the  United 
States  and  rendering  respect  and  honor  to  him  as  the  Chief 
Magistrate  of  a  friendly  power,  these  mercurial  and  unstable 
peoples  passed  rapidly  from  one  extreme  to  the  other. 
Having  seen  him  safely  to  his  hotel,  Lieutenant  Tattnall 
was  about  to  return  to  his  ship  when  he  was  entreated  by 
Santa  Anna  to  remain  with  him  as  his  guest.  The  Presi 
dent  felt  insecure  until  he  could  rally  his  friends  about  him, 
and  the  presence  of  the  Lieutenant  materially  contributed 
to  his  composure  during  this  uncertain  period.  As  the 

*  Lieutenant  Geo.  T.  Sinclair. 


46  THE  LIFE   AND   SEEVICES  OF 

guest  of  the  Mexican  President  he  spent  several  days  in 
Vera  Cruz,  and  accompanied  him  to  his  country  seat  in 
the  mountains  on  the  road  to  Mexico.  When  he  bade  him 
farewell  he  was  surrounded  by  his  adherents,  and  all  likeli 
hood  of  opposition  had  subsided.  But  for  the  peculiar 
assistance  rendered  by  Lieutenant  Tattnall  on  this  occasion, 
the  probability  is  that  Santa  Anna  would  have  encountered 
speedy  death  at  the  hands  of  the  disaffected  Mexicans. 

Upon  returning  to  Norfolk,  Virginia,  in  the  Pioneer,  the 
change  in  the  commanding  officers  of  the  Exploring  Expe 
dition,  previously  alluded  to,  was  carried  into  effect,  and 
Lieutenant  Tattnall  was  for  some  time  on  leave  of  absence, 
with  occasional  orders  for  special  duties  of  brief  duration. 

In  1838  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Commander  and 
placed  in  charge  of  the  Boston  Navy  Yard.  Here  he  re 
mained  until  the  expiration  of  the  period  usually  allotted 
to  such  commands.  With  Commodore  Perry  was  he  asso 
ciated  in  April,  18  ±0,  in  ordnance  experiments.  On  the  2d 
of  March  in  the  following  year  he  was  ordered  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  corvette  Fair  field,  fitting  out  for  the  Mediter 
ranean  station,  and  in  July  sailed  for  Gibraltar,  conveying 
Commodore  Charles  Morgan, — the  Commander-in-Chief  of 
that  station, — whose  flag  was,  for  the  time  being,  hoisted 
on  the  Fairfield.  From  the  day  that  Commodore  Morgan 
came  on  board  the  Fairfield  until  he  le'ft  that  vessel  upon 
her  arrival  at  Port  Mahon, — the  headquarters  of  the  Medi 
terranean  squadron, — he  and  his  Secretary  were  the  guests 
of  Commander  Tattnall,  who  positively  refused  to  have 
those  gentlemen  at  his  table  on  any  other  terms. 

Tattnall's  merits  as  an  officer  were  strikingly  exhibited 
while  he  commanded  the  Fairfield.  That  vessel  was  on  all 
occasions  remarkable  for  the  promptitude  and  perfection 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  47 

of  her  movements.  Most  efficient  was  the  drill  of  her  crew. 
Had  the  opportunity  presented  itself,  the  Fairfidd  would 
certainly  have  won  for  her  officers  and  men  a  brilliant  record. 
Unfortunately  for  his  own  reputation,  Commodore  Mor 
gan  assumed  towards  all  the  commanding  officers  under  him 
a  position  totally  and  flagrantly  violative  of  law.  While 
obeying  the  illegal  orders  of  the  Commodore,  Commander 
Tattnall  appealed  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for  redress, 
and  because  he  had  so  appealed  was  arrested  and  sent  to 
the  United  States  under  charges.  Immediately  upon  their 
examination,  the  Navy  Department  dismissed  the  charges, 
and  informed  Commander  Tattnall  that  he  was  at  liberty 
to  return  at  once  to  the  command  of  his  ship,  or,  if  he  pre 
ferred,  to  take  charge  of  another  vessel,  much  her  supeiior, 
which  had  just  been  launched  and  was  fitting  out.  The 
Department  visited  Commodore  Morgan  with  its  official 
censure,  and  disapproved  his  treatment  of  Tattnall.  Com 
mander  Tattnall's  response  to  the  offer  of  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  that  he  should  return  to  his  ship  then  on  a 
station  most  pleasant  to  him  and  eagerly  sought  by  officers 
of  all  grades,  was  entirely  characteristic  :  "  I  have  no  wish, 
sir,"  said  he,  "  to  be  instrumental  in  mortifying  Commodore 
Morgan  further  than  is  necessary  to  vindicate  my  official 
honor.  My  return  to  the  station  he  now  commands  could 
not  be  otherwise  than  officially  humiliating  to  him,  and 
could  do  the  service  no  good."  He  was  thereupon  compli 
mented  with  the  command  of  the  corvette  Saratoga,  a  new 
ship,  and  one  of  the  largest  vessels  of  her  class  which  at 
that  time  had  been  constructed  by  any  naval  power.  Of 
one  thousand  tons  burthen,  she  carried  a  battery  of  eighteen 
32-pounder  guns,  and  four  8-inch  shell-guns.  She  was 

built  and  equipped  at  the  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  Navy 
8 


48  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

Yard.  Sailing  for  New  York  on  the  16th  of  March,  1843, 
the  Saratoga  encountered  a  serious  disaster,  the  details  of 
which  are  fully  presented  in  the  following  letter  from  Com 
mander  Tattnall  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy : 

"U.  S.  SHIP  SARATOGA, 
"PORTSMOUTH,  N.  H.,  March  19th,  1843. 
"SiR: 

"  I  informed  you  yesterday  that  the  sloop  Saratoga  under 
my  command  had  returned  to  Portsmouth,  having  been 
dismasted  on  the  17th  inst.,  and  I  have  now  the  honor  to 
make  you  a  more  detailed  report  of  the  circumstances  which 
caused  that  disaster. 

"We  sailed  from  Portsmouth  at  11  A.  M.  on  the  16th, 
with  a  light  breeze  from  the  northwest,  which  died  away 
to  a  calm  after  having  carried  us  clear  of  the  harbor.  In 
the  afternoon  a  moderate  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  east 
ward,  with  a  strong  appearance  of  shifting  to  the  westward. 
At  11  P.  M.  we  had  passed  Newburyport,  and  were  heading 
to  windward  of  Cape  Ann,  when  the  wind  shifted  to  east 
southeast,  and  increased  suddenly  to  a  severe  gale,  with 
snow  and  sleet,  obliging  us  to  carry  a  heavy  press  of  can 
vas  to  keep  off  shore,  the  snow  and  sleet,  which  froze  as 
they  fell,  coating  everything  with  ice  and  rendering  it  impos 
sible  to  furl  the  sails,  as  the  increase  of  wind  and  sea  obliged 
us  to  take  them  in.  The  main-yard  was  manned  three  times 
and  the  men  worked  with  the  best  spirit,  but  the  canvas 
was  so  frozen  and  stiff  that  their  efforts  were  unavailing. 
On  the  17th,  at  3  A.  M.,  the  ship  continuing  to  drive  into 
the  land,  preparations  were  made  for  anchoring  and  cutting 
away  the  masts.  At  9  A.  M.  we  found  ourselves  close  to 
the  light  house  on  the  Isle  of  Shoals,  and  bore  up  under 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  49 

the  close  reefed  foresail  and  main-topsail  in  the  hope  of 
regaining  the  harbor  of  Portsmouth.  This  was  done  by 
the  advice  and  under  the  direction  of  the  Portsmouth  pilot, 
who  was  still  on  board.  The  attempt  was  hazardous,  but 
was  our  best  chance,  and  its  failure  should  not  be  charged 
to  the  pilot,  who  evinced  a  decision  and  steadiness  which 
confirmed  my  confidence  in  him.  The  heavy  sea,  and  prob 
ably  the  tide  (although  allowance  was  made,  in  the  course 
we  steered,  for  both),  drove  us  to  leeward,  the  atmosphere 
being  so  hazy  that  we  could  not  see  more  than  half  a  mile 
in  any  direction. 

"We  first  made  the  breakers  a  little  on  the  weather  bow 
and  close  on  board ;  bearing  up  to  avoid  them  we  found 
ourselves  standing  directly  on  to  a  rocky  shore  extending 
for  some  distance  on  both  bows,  and  on  which  the  sea  was 
breaking  heavily.  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost.  The  ship 
was  brought  to  the  wind,  both  bowers  let  go,  the  chains 
veered  to  the  clinch  in  the  teers,  150  fathoms  on  each,  and 
the  masts  cut  away.  We  were  near  enough  to  the  shore 
to  be  benefited  by  the  under  tow,  and  rode  out  the  re 
mainder  of  the  gale  in  safety. 

"In  the  afternoon  the  weather  having  moderated  and 
cleared  up,  we  found  ourselves  on  the  rocky  coast  between 
the  mouth  of  the  harbor  of  Portsmouth  and  the  sands  of 
Rye,  and  but  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  breakers  at 
low  water. 

"I  cannot,  sir,  close  this  disastrous  report  without  ac 
knowledging  the  zealous  aid  I  received  from  Mr.  Armstrong, 
the  First  Lieutenant,  and  from  every  other  officer  in  the 
ship ;  nor  is  this  acknowledgment  confined  to  the  sea  officers 
alone,  all  having  exerted  themselves  to  the  utmost.  The 
Marine  officer,  Lieutenant  Doughty,  had  been  on  deck  the 


50  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

whole  morning  encouraging  the  marines  by  his  example ; 
and,  indeed,  the  spirit  and  steadiness  of  the  officers  and 
men  are  best  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  eight  minutes  after 
the  order  was  given,  the  ship  was  anchored  and  all  the  masts 
over  the  side  without  injuring  one  man  out  of  a  crew  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy. 

"As  soon  as  the  abatement  of  the  sea  and  wind  allowed 
a  communication  with  the  shore,  I  received  from  Com 
mander  Lewis  Goldsborough,  commanding  this  station,  (who 
has  placed  me  under  lasting  obligations,)  such  prompt  and 
judicious  treatment  as  enabled  me  to  get  the  ship  without 
difficulty  into  the  harbor. 

"I  have,  sir,  limited  this  report  to  principal  occurrences, 
presuming  that  you  will  order  a  Court  of  Inquiry  into  my 
conduct,  and  earnestly  soliciting  you  to  do  so, 
"I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL, 

"  Commander." 
To  the  Honorable  A.  P.  Upshur,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

As  indicating  their  appreciation  of  his  conduct  during 
the  great  peril  through  which  he  had  just  passed,  we  cannot 
refrain  from  introducing  the  following  extracts  from  some 
of  the  letters  received  by  Commander  Tattnall  from  brother 
officers  of  high  repute,  whose  generous  sympathy  and 
cordial  congratulations  were  very  gratifying  to  him. 

Under  date  March  23d,  1843  : 

"  DEAR  TATTNALL  : 

"Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  your  narrow  escape 
from  a  watery  grave,  with  that  of  your  officers  and  crew, 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  51 

and  also  on  the  good  qualities  of  your  noble  ship.  Mr. 
Boggs,  of  the  Navy  Department,  has  just  read  me  a  most 
interesting  account  from  his  brother,  Lieutenant  Boggs, 
which  letter  he  has  also  read  to  the  Secretary,  and,  much 
to  his  satisfaction,  he  is  delighted  with  your  management 
of  the  ship.  As  evidence  of  which,  he  has  issued  orders 
for  her  to  be  refitted  without  delay.  A  lady  of  my  family 
was  at  the  Secretary's  house  on  Monday  evening  when  the 
sad  news  arrived  of  her  total  loss ;  he  was  greatly  disturbed, 
1  yet,'  he  said,  'he  had  every  confidence  in  her  commander, 
for  that  she  was  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  first  officers  in 
the  navy.' " 

Under  date  March  24th,  1843  : 

"My  DEAR  TATTNALL: 

"  I  have  just  seen  the  safe  arrival  of  your  ship  announced 
at  Portsmouth,  and  hasten  to  congratulate  you  on  your  good 
and  bad  fortune.  Your  situation  must  have  been  perilous 
indeed,  and  but  for  your  decision  and  prompt  action  your 
fate  would  have  been  inevitable.  I  truly  rejoice,  my  dear 
friend,  that  the  loss  your  ship  sustained  is  so  small,  and 
that  your  presence  of  mind  and  decision  of  character  not 
only  saved  your  ship,  but  not  a  single  life  was  lost.  Orders 
have,  no  doubt,  been  given  to  equip  her  again  for  sea.  You 
must  have  faith  in  the  old  adage,  a  bad  beginning  ends 
well."  * 

Under  date  March  27th,  1843  : 

"DEAR  TATTNALL: 

"Your  letter  of  the  22d  inst.  is  received.  I  was  upon 
the  point  of  writing  to  you  to  congratulate  you  upon  your 
having  got  clear  of  that  tremendous  blow,  with  the  loss 


52  THE  LIFE   AND   SEEYICES   OF 

only  of  your  spars,  for  I  much  feared  (and  so  did  we  all 
here)  for  the  safety  of  your  ship  and  lives.  It  blew  here 
that  night  almost  a  hurricane,  and  we  were  all  hoping  on 
board  the  Hudson  that  you  might  not  have  sailed,  and 
were  expressing  our  fears,  in  case  you  were  out,  of  your 
safety.  Thank  God  it  is  no  worse ;  and  the  universal  feeling 
here  is  that  you  have  been  devilish  lucky  in  getting  off  so 
cheaply.  Lieutenant  Boggs  has  given  us  all  the  details 
of  that  dreadful  night's  work  and  suffering,  and  your  con 
duct  and  seamanship  have  been  most  highly  commended." 
•*  *  *  *  # 

Under  date  April  3d,  1843  : 

"MY  DEAK  Jo: 

*  #  *  *  * 

"In  regard  to  your  shipwreck,  dear  Jo,  I  heard  nothing 
but  what  it  would  have  made  you  vain  to  listen  to.  Your 
brother  officers  have  full  confidence  not  only  in  your  chiv 
alry,  but  in  all  the  high  attributes  of  your  official  station. 
Your  receive,  as  you  well  merit,  from  everybody  the  highest 
praise  for  saving  your  ship  and  the  lives  of  your  crew. 
Unless  your  health  has  materially  suffered,  nothing  better 
could  have  happened  to  you  short  of  a  good  fight.  Say 
nothing  more  than  what  you  may  already  have  said  about 
a  Court  of  Inquiry.  All  military  courts  are  becoming  odious, 
and  nothing  of  the  kind  can  be  necessary  to  your  reputa 
tion."  *  *  *  *  * 


CHAPTER  SIXTH. 


In  command  of  the  Saratoga  on  the  African  Station.  War  declared 
between  the  United  States  and  Mexico.  Assigned  to  the  gun-boat 
Spitfire.  In  command  of  the  Mosquito  Division.  Covers  disembarca- 
tion  of  the  army  under  General  Scott.  Shells  Vera  Cruz  and  the 
Castle  of  St.  Juan  d'Ulloa.  Engages  the  Castle  and  bombards  the 
city  on  the  23d.  Commander  Tattnall's  letter  describing  the  action. 
Reduction  of  Tuspan.  Admiral  Buchanan's  narrative  of  the  affair. 
Commander  Tattnall  wounded.  Captain  Whittle's  account.  Compli 
mented  with  a  sword,  for  his  gallantry,  by  the  State  of  Georgia. 

After  refitting,  the  Saratoga  sailed  for  New  York,  where 
she  awaited  the  arrival  of  Commodore  M.  C.  Perry.  Upon 
coming  on  board  he  hoisted  his  flag  on  that  vessel  and  in 
her  proceeded  to  his  command  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa. 
The  station  was  reached  in  due  course,  when  the  Commo 
dore  transferred  his  flag  to  the  frigate  Macedonian.  The 
duties  of  a  cruiser  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa  are  onerous 
and  monotonous.  The  opportunities  for  relaxation  and 
pleasure,  common  to  most  stations,  are  there  entirely  want 
ing.  A  dangerous  climate  and  hot  suns  necessitate  the 
observance  of  constant  care  for  the  preservation  of  the 
health  of  officers  and  men.  Communications  with  home 
occur  only  at  rare  and  irregular  intervals.  Hence  the 
African  Station  was  unpopular  in  the  service.  To  protect 
legitimate  American  commerce,  and  break  up  the  slave 
trade  so  far  as  it  was  abetted  by  or  carried  on  in  United 
States  vessels,  were  the  duties  of  a  naval  force  mounting 
eighty  guns  then  stationed  in  those  waters.  The  presence 
of  these  vessels  was  also  designed  to  render  more  respect 
able,  in  the  eyes  of  the  barbarian  nations  which  surrounded 


54  THE  LIFE  AND   SEEVICES   OF 

them,  the  colonies  of  Liberia.  That  the  Saratoga  per 
formed  good  service  while  upon  this  uninteresting  station 
may  be  readily  inferred  from  the  "Journal  of  an  African 
Cruiser,"  written  by  her  purser,  and  published  in  1848.* 

After  a  cruise  of  about  two  years,  Commander  Tattnall 
returned  with  his  ship  to  New  York.  His  health  having 
been  much  impaired,  he  was  granted  a  leave  of  absence. 
While  enjoying  this  relaxation  amid  the  pleasures  of  home 
and  in  the  companionship  of  friends,  war  was  declared 
between  the  United  States  and  the  Republic  of  Mexico. 
He  thereupon  immediately  volunteered  his  services  to  the 
Government  for  active  duty  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy. 

Several  small  steamers, — suited  to  the  navigation  of  the 
waters  of  the  Mexican  coast,  but  of  a  tonnage  below  the 
grade  of  a  Commander's  proper  command, — had  just  been 
added  to  the  Gulf  Squadron.  Tattnall,  familiar  as  he  was 
with  the  character  of  the  coast,  well  knew  that  if  he  ex 
pected  to  get  at  the  enemy  he  must  have  a  vessel  of  light 
draught.  He  therefore  urged  his  assignment  to  the  steam 
gun-boat  Spit/ire.  His  request  was  allowed,  and  to  that 
vessel  was  he  ordered  on  the  2d  of  June,  1846.  Sailing 
from  New  York  with  a  bearer  of  dispatches,  he  reached 
Chagres  in  safety ;  and,  proceeding  thence,  joined  the  Com 
modore  commanding  the  United  States  naval  forces  on  the 
Mexican  coast,  at  the  anchorage  of  Sacrificios  below  Yera 
Cruz.  Immediately  upon  the  concentration  of  that  portion 
of  the  squadron  disengaged  from  the  duty  of  blockading 
the  coast,  the  lighter  vessels, — consisting  of  the  steamers 
Spitfire  and  Vixen  and  four  other  armed  vessels, — were 
formed  into  a  light  division,  denominated  the  Mosquito  Di 
vision,  and  placed  under  Tattnall's  immediate  command. 

*  New  York,  John  Wiley. 


COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  £>5 

On  the  9th  of  March,  1847,  Commodore  Perry's  Squadron, 
then  at  the  anchorage  of  Anton  Lisardo, — which  was  the 
rendezvous  for  the  transports  conveying  troops  and  mate 
rials  destined  to  act  against  Yera  Cruz, — got  under  way, 
with  the  steam  transports  in  company,  and  proceeded  to 
the  anchorage  of  Sacrificios,  just  south  of  and  in  full  view 
of  the  city.  Here  the  Mosquito  Division  under  Tattnall  ran 
close  into  the  beach  and  opened  fire  in  line  to  cover  the 
disembarcation  of  the  land  army.  A  little  before  sunset  the 
first  division  of  troops  had  landed,  and  before  ten  o'clock 
that  night  twelve  thousand  men  were  on  shore, — not  the 
slightest  accident  or  the  loss  of  a  single  life  having  occurred. 
With  the  siege  and  reduction  of  Vera  Cruz  we  are  all 
familiar,  and  the  story  of  that  masterly  achievement  need 
not  be  here  repeated. 

Responding  to  general  instructions  received  from  the 
Commodore  that  he  should  keep  his  division  under  way 
in  shore  and  occupy  positions  best  calculated  to  annoy  the 
enemy,  at  day  dawn  on  the  10th  Commander  Tattnall  ad 
vanced  under  Point  Honoros  to  a  position  within  a  short 
mile  of  the  city  and  the  Castle  of  St.  Juan  d'Ulloa,  upon 
both  of  which,  from  the  Spitfire,  he  opened  a  fire  which 
was  maintained  for  two  hours  and  until  he  was  recalled  by 
the  Commodore.  The  return  fire  from  the  city  and  the 
Castle,  although  heavy,  fortunately  caused  no  material 
injury  to  the  vessel.  The  eyes  of  the  navy  and  of  the  army 
were  upon  him  during  this  gallant  engagement ;  and  Com 
mander  Tattnall  by  his  perseverance  and  courage  won  the 
admiration  of  them  both.  The  Spitfires  shells  fell  in  the 
heart  of  the  city,  reaching  the  Plaza  and  the  neighborhood 
of  the  gate  of  the  market.  This  fact  was  announced  in  a 

Yera  Cruz  paper  which  found  its  way  to  the  squadron,  arid 
9 


56  THE  LIFE  AND   SEEVICES   Otf 

corrected  an  impression  obtaining  among  some  of  the  offi 
cers  of  the  fleet,  who,  at  a  remove  of  three  miles,  and  despite 
the  smoke  of  the  bombardment,  declared  that  they  could 
perceive  the  shells  bursting  short  of  their  objective  points. 
As  the  army  batteries  had  not  then  opened,  there  could  be 
no  possible  doubt  as  to  the  source  whence  those  shells 
came  which  exploded  in  the  Plaza  and  at  the  gate  of  the 
market.  Commander  Tattnall  received  a  complimentary 
message  from  General  Worth,  who,  at  the  time,  was  ad 
vancing  to  the  investment  of  the  city.  In  it  he  stated  that 
the  action  of  the  Spitfire  had  proved  of  essential  service  to 
him,  as  it  had  discovered  the  positions  of  many  of  the 
enemy's  guns. 

By  the  22d, — several  of  the  land  batteries  being  in  readi 
ness,  and  the  Governor  having  refused  General  Scott's 
summons  to  surrender, — a  mortar  battery,  at  a  remove  of 
eight  hundred  yards,  opened  fire  upon  the  city  and  main 
tained  it  during  the  rest  of  the  day  and  the  ensuing  night. 
At  daylight,  the  next  morning,  Tattnall  got  his  division  of 
two  steamers  and  five  schooners  under  way.  One  schooner 
was  directed  to  remain  under  Point  Honoros  and  open 
a  rapid  fire  on  the  city,  while  the  two  steamers, — each 
with  two  schooners  in  tow, — stood  out  from  the  land  as 
though  intending  to  rejoin  the  squadron  at  Sacrificios. 
Having  cleared  the  shoal  off  Point  Honoros,  the  division, — 
Tattnall  leading  in  the  Spitfire, — stood  directly  for  the 
Castle  of  St.  Juan  d'Ulloa,  until  within  grape  distance 
from  the  Bastion  of  St.  Jago  on  the  main,  and  but  a  very 
little  further  from  the  Castle  itself.  Until  this  position  was 
gained  not  a  shot  had  been  exchanged.  The  division  now 
opened  a  violent  connonade  against  the  heart  of  the  city, 
which  was  responded  to  by  the  Castle  and  the  Bastion. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  57 

The  early  hour  and  the  rapid  movement  of  the  division 
either  took  the  Mexicans  by  surprise,  or  they  were  desirous 
of  alluring  the  vessels  to  what  they  deemed  certain  destruc 
tion.  To  the  fire  of  the  Castle  and  the  Bastion  was  quickly 
added  that  of  the  city.  Nothing  apparently  saved  these 
vessels  from  annihilation  save  the  fact  that  they  were  kept 
in  constant  motion.  The  Mexican  fire  of  solid  shot,  shell, 
and  grape,  was  very  heavy  and  lashed  the  water  into  a  foam. 
Although  the  ships  were  struck  and  somewhat  damaged? 
not  a  man  was  killed  on  board.  Such  escape  seemed  mi 
raculous.  For  one  hour  was  this  extraordinary  action  con 
tinued,  when  the  division  retired  in  obedience  to  the  Com 
modore's  signal.  Thousands  of  admiring  eyes,  which 
watched  this  daring  affair,  expected  each  moment  to  witness 
the  destruction  of  the  division  and  scarcely  looked  for  the 
safe  return  of  the  vessels  which  composed  it.  As  Com 
mander  TattnaU  drew  out  of  the  line  of  fire  and  moved 
down  to  Sacrificios  to  rejoin  the  squadron,  cheer  upon  cheer 
arose  from  the  troops  along  the  shore.  The  Commodore 
expressed  his  gratification  at  the  heroic  conduct  of  the 
affair,  and  directed  his  appreciation  of  their  gallantry  to 
be  communicated  to  the  officers  and  men  engaged.  The 
eyes  of  the  country  were  now  upon  Commander  Tattnall, 
and  his  name  became  more  than  ever  a  synonym  for  valor 
and  daring. 

The  following  letter,  penned  on  the  spot,  and  never  in 
tended  for  the  public  eye,  will  now  be  perused  with  peculiar 
interest : 

"  U.  S.  STEAMER  SPITFIRE,  25th  March,  1847, 

"ISLAND  OF  SACRIFICIOS. 
"MY  DEAR  ****: 

"It  blows  a  heavy  norther,  which    furnishes  leisure  for 


58  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

me  to  write ;  although  the  vessel  is  so  unsteady  that  it  is 
troublesome  to  do  so.  I  will  briefly  detail  to  you  the  ope 
rations  of  the  navy  and  army  up  to  this  date. 

"On  the  morning  of  the  9th  March,  the  squadron,  and 
several  army  steamers  having  ten  thousand  troops  on  board, 
left  Anton  Lisardo  (an  anchorage  seven  miles  from  this) 
and  anchored  here  in  the  afternoon  sufficiently  early  to 
enable  us  to  disembark  the  troops,  to  cover  which  move 
ment  the  Spitfire,  Vixen,  and  three  schooners  were  anchored 
close  in  with  the  beach.  It  was  expected  that  we  should 
have  had  to  contend  with  batteries  erected  among  the 
sand  hills  in  the  vicinity,  but  no  enemy  was  seen,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  cavalry  which  a  shot  from  this  vessel 
and  one  from  a  schooner  sufficed  to  drive  off.  The  landing 
was  beautiful,  the  troops  landing  on  the  beach  with  great 
rapidity,  and  seizing  the  lofty  sand  hills  where  the  standards 
of  the  regiments  were  soon  planted.  The  night  was  passed 
quietly,  but  at  dawn  of  day  I  weighed  with  the  Spitfire  and 
took  a  position  under  Point  Honoros,  whence  I  threw  shot 
and  shells  into  the  city  for  two  hours,  and  until  called  off 
by  a  signal  from  the  Commodore.  The  army  was  occupied 
from  that  date  (the  10th)  until  the  22d  inst.  in  getting 
their  battering  guns,  mortars,  and  ordnance  stores  on  shore, 
in  which  they  received  great  and  cheerful  assistance  from  the 
navy.  In  the  interval,  the  enemy  at  times  opened  on  them  a 
a  fire  from  mortars  and  cannon,  producing  some  casualties. 
Captain  Albertis,  of  the  artillery,  was  killed,  and  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Dickerson,  of  the  Carolina  Volunteers,  wounded. 

"On  the  22d,  a  part  of  the  mortars  having  been  placed 
in  battery,  and  ready  to  open,  the  town  was  summoned, 
through  a  flag  of  truce,  to  surrender.  This  was  refused, 
and  as  soon  as  our  flag  was  again  within  our  lines,  the 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  59 

town  fired  two  shots  in  defiance.  This  was  answered 
from  our  lines,  and  was  the  signal  for  the  Spitfire,  Vixen, 
and  five  schooners  to  take  a  position  off  Point  Honoros 
and  aid  in  the  bombardment.  I  forgot  to  say  that  when 
on  the  10th  I  fired  on  the  town  from  this  position  with 
the  Spitfire  alone,  the  enemy  opened  a  fire  of  shells  on 
me  from  St.  Juan  d'Ulloa  and  two  of  the  town  batteries, 
which  fell  and  exploded  around  me  without  damage.  On 
this  occasion,  although  they  fired  a  few  shells  at  us,  their 
principal  fire  was  directed  at  the  batteries  of  the  army. 
On  the  morning  of  the  23d,  at  dawn  of  day,  I  weighed 
anchor  in  company  with  the  Vixen,  each  with  two  schooners 
in  tow  (leaving  the  fifth  schooner  to  attract  the  attention 
of  the  enemy),  and  stood  out  from  the  land  as  though  in 
tending  to  rejoin  the  squadron  at  Sacrificios  until,  having 
cleared  the  shoal  off  Point  Honoros,  I  stood  directly  for 
the  Castle  of  St.  Juan  d'Ulloa,  until  within  grape  distance 
of  the  Castle  of  St.  lago  on  the  main,  and  but  a  little 
further  from  that  of  St.  Juan  d'Ulloa.  Here  I  opened 
a  fire  directly  into  the  city,  which  was  replied  to  from  both 
castles.  I  must,  from  their  not  having  opened  on  me 
before,  have  surprised  them.  They,  however,  made  up  for 
the  delay  by  a  very  heavy  fire  of  shot  and  shell,  which 
burst  and  fell  all  around  us.  In  an  hour  I  was  recalled 
by  signal.  The  affair  took  place  in  sight  of  the  whole 
squadron  and  the  right  wing  (Worth's)  of  the  army,  and 
is  spoken  of  (I  am  happy  to  tell  you)  in  enthusiastic  terms 
by  both  services.  We  were  cheered  by  the  officers  of  the 
army  from  the  neighboring  heights,  and  Commodore  Perry 
(Connor  having  given  up  the  command)  has  directed  the 
commanders  of  all  vessels  engaged  to  express  to  the  crews 
his  sense  of  their  gallantry.  All  expected  to  see  us  sunk, 


60  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

and  that  we  escaped  without  loss  is  a  miracle.  The  shot 
and  shell  rained  around  us  and  kept  the  water  in  a  foam, 
and  yet  but  three  of  the  vessels  were  struck,  two  of  the 
schooners  and  the  Spitfire;  the  latter  by  a  shell  which  ex 
ploded  directly  under  the  quarter  and  knocked  a  plank 
out  of  the  quarter  boat.  Not  a  man  was  hurt.  Edward 
and  Josiah  were  both  with  me,  and  were  perfectly  cool.  All 
the  four  Generals,  Scott,  Worth,  Patterson,  and  Twiggs,  have 
complimented  me.  On  the  same  day  on  which  this  occurred 
(23d),  six  heavy  guns  were  sent  on  shore  from  the  squadron 
and  manned  by  the  seamen  of  the  frigates  and  sloops-of- 
war.  They  commenced  a  fire  on  the  morning  of  the  24th, 
in  conjunction  with  the  army  batteries,  and  did  themselves 
great  honor.  Our  acquaintance,  Aulick,  commanded  the 
first  day  and  had  four  killed  and  two  wounded ;  thus  (if 
I  fired  the  first  naval  shot  against  the  town  and  Castle) 
winniDg  the  honor  of  having  the  first  naval  blood  drawn 
from  his  command.  Lieutenant  Baldwin  (of  the  St.  Mary's) 
was  among  the  wounded.  Yesterday  Captain  Isaac  Mayo, 
of  the  Mississippi,  commanded,  and  silenced  all  the  batteries 
opposed  to  him.  He  had  two  killed  and  several  wounded, 
among  the  former  (I  am  sorry  to  say)  poor  young  Shubrick, 
the  son  of  Commander  Irving  Shubrick.  He  had  just 
arrived  in  the  Mississippi,  and  brought  me  a  letter  from 

dear  H ,  whom  he  saw  at  Wilmington.     He  went  to  the 

battery  full  of  animation,  and  had  scarcely  reached  it  when 
his  head  was  severed  from  his  body.  His  mother  was  a 
Miss  Dupont,  a  sister  of  Commander  Dupont  of  the  navy. 
He  was  a  fine  lad,  and  is  deeply  lamented. 

"I  landed  and  walked  to  our  battery  on  the  first  day, 
and  on  reaching  it  saw  stretched  in  a  cart  and  dead  a  most 
noble  seaman,  an  old  boatswain's  mate  of  mine  in  the 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  6l 

Saratoga.  His  fine  manly  face,  calm  and  unchanged,  I 
could  not  mistake,  and  on  asking  his  name  had  my  fears 
confirmed.  Another  poor  fellow  was  lying  in  a  cart  severely 
wounded,  to  whom  I  offered  a  few  words  of  condolence.  In 
a  few  moments  after,  and  when  they  had  removed  him  to 
what  was  deemed  a  place  of  safety,  he  was  again  wounded. 
There  was  ill  luck  for  you.  The  army  have,  of  course,  been 
doing  the  chief  work  in  the  bombardment,  but  I  have 
mentioned  the  navy  more  particularly  as  appertaining  to 
myself.  The  army  has  been  disappointed  by  the  non-arrival, 
at  the  time  expected,  of  the  larger  part  of  the  mortars,  but 
yesterday  they  had  sixteen  in  battery,  and  will,  doubtless, 
have  more  to-morrow. 

"  They  do  their  work  admirably,  and  are  a  credit  to  that 
noble  institution,  West  Point.  The  town  has,  doubtless, 
suffered  dreadfully,  and  yesterday  they  sent  out  a  flag  beg 
ging  that  the  women  and  children  might  be  allowed  to  retire. 
This  General  Scott  very  properly  refused,  on  the  ground 
that  he  had  offered  and  they  declined  it  before  he  com 
menced  the  bombardment,  and  that  now,  in  justice  to  his 
own  troops,  he  could  not  suffer  the  garrison  to  be  disem 
barrassed  and  freed  from  the  necessity  of  feeding  them. 
This  seems  cruel,  but  is  just.  The  Castle  will  probably  have 
to  be  starved  out,  and  the  sooner  this  is  done  the  less  will 
be  our  loss  of  life.  It  is  blowing  so  hard  a  gale  from  the 
northward  that  we  have  not  communicated  to-day  with 
the  shore,  and  my  account  of  matters  is  up  to  last  evening. 
The  firing  was  continued  on  shore  the  whole  of  last  night, 
and  doubtless  I  shall  hear  of  further  casualties.  I  forgot 
to  mention  that  Captain  Vinton,  of  the  artillery,  (a  very 
fine  officer),  was  killed  at  one  of  the  army  batteries,  and 
the  army  has  probably  lost  in  killed  and  wounded  some 


62  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   6# 

thirty  men.  I  think  that  as  soon  as  this  norther  ends  the 
town  will  surrender.  If  not,  it  is  intended  to  take  it  by 
assault,  the  navy  cooperating  with  the  army. 

"I  shall  keep  you  constantly  advised  of  your  sons  and 
myself  being  in  existence,  and  shall  keep  this  open  until 
a  vessel  sails,  which,  it  is  thought,  will  be  to-morrow.  Com 
modore  Connor  has  been  relieved  by  Commodore  Perry, 
and  in  a  manner  and  at  a  time  most  mortifying.  Connor 
is  ill.  and  I  feel  deeply  for  him.  When  I  took  leave  of  him 
in  his  sick  bed,  he  thanked  me  for  the  friendly  support  he 
had  received  from  me,  and  expressed  himself  in  warm  terms 
of  regard. 

"The  Spitfire  jumps  about  so,  in  the  short  sea  in  which 
we  are  anchored,  that  I  can  scarcely  write  legibly,  and  the 
general  tumbling  about  of  cabin  articles  confuses  my  ideas 
to  such  an  extent  that  I  can  hardly  disentangle  them  suffi 
ciently  to  write  English  intelligibly.  Dorit  let  this  letter  be 
seen  out  of  the  family,  and  suffer  no  part  of  it  to  reach  the 
papers. 

"The  gale  still  rages,  and  three  or  four  transports  have 
been  driven  from  their  moorings  and  forced  on  shore.  One 
brig  dragged  foul  of  the  frigate  Potomac  and  lost  her  masts, 
and  is  now  riding,  by  a  hawser,  to  that  vessel.  We  have 
a  norther  about  once  in  three  days,  and  this  one  is  of  un 
usual  violence.  They  interfere  sadly  with  the  operations 
of  the  army.  The  soil  is  of  sand,  which  drifts  and  fills  up 
the  trenches. 

"I  have  just  finished  a  letter  to  dear  H****,  in  reply 
to  that  she  sent  by  poor  young  Shubrick.  The  motto  she 
chose  for  the  seal  of  her  letter  brought  the  tear  to  my  eye. 
God  bless  her  !  Eemind  all  the  children  that  I  love  them, 
and  tell  T***  and  M***  that  I  rejoice  to  learn  such  favor- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  63 

able  Accounts  of  their  improvement.  T*  *  must  write  me 
a  letter,  and  M  *  *  *  must  send  me  a  beautiful  piece  of  her 
needlework.  I  shall  be  proud  to  show  the  letter  and  the 
needlework  to  every  one.  The  gale  is  at  length  at  an  end 
(26th  March),  after  having  driven  on  shore  twenty-five 
vessels  and  dismasted  several  others. 

"  I  am  ordered  to  cruise  to  the  northward  and  westward 
of  the  town,  communicating  with  the  left  wing  of  the  army. 

"We  have  this  day  (29th  March)  taken  possession  of 
the  Castle  and  city,  both  of  which  surrendered  yesterday. 
The  loss  of  life  in  the  city  was  terrible,  as  it  fell  chiefly 
on  the  inhabitants  (women  and  children,  the  men  being 
under  arms  with  the  troops).  The  troops  were  sheltered 
by  the  works  and  lost,  report  says,  but  forty  killed,  while 
the  inhabitants  lost  from  seven  to  eight  hundred.  I  am 
told  that  the  city  is  greatly  injured.  Many  foreigners  have 

been  killed,  among  them  the  daughter  of  the  English  Consul. 
*•***•**# 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL." 

Upon  the  surrender  of  Vera  Cruz,  on  the  29th  of  March 
Commodore  Perry  turned  his  attention  to  the  capture  of 
towns  along  the  coast  which  were  still  occupied  by  the 
Mexican  forces.  Alvarado  was  evacuated  upon  the  ap 
proach  of  the  combined  naval  and  land  expedition  dis 
patched  for  its  capture,  and  was  garrisoned  by  the  army 
of  occupation.  The  squadron  next  prepared  to  attack  Tus- 
pan.  As  this  city  was  situated  some  distance  up  the  river 
of  the  same  name,  and  as  the  bar  at  its  mouth  was  both 
shallow  and  dangerous,  it  became  necessary  to  organize 
an  expedition  of  light  steamers  and  boats.  The  masts  of 
the  Spitfire  were  taken  out  of  her  and  she  was  lightened 

of  all  stores  and  munitions  not  absolutely  required  on  the 
10 


64  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

moment.  Bearing  the  flag  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  and 
with  a  division  of  boats  from  the  Germantown,  commanded 
by  the  gallant  Commander  Franklin  Buchanan  (afterwards 
an  Admiral  in  the  navy  of  the  Confederate  States),  in  tow, 
the  Spit/ire  led  in  over  the  bar  and  commenced  the  action. 
We  give  the  narrative  of  the  capture  in  the  language  of  the 
distinguished  officer  whose  honored  name  we  have  just 
uttered :  "  The  Germantowiis  boats  were  towed  by  the 
Spitfire  that  they  might  be  near  the  Commodore  so  as  to 
receive  the  earliest  orders  to  'land  and  storm  the  forts.'  I 
went  on  board  as  the  expedition  approached  the  first  fort, 
the  Pana,  situated  on  a  prominent  hill  about  eighty  feet 
above  the  river,  and  armed  with  32-pounder  guns.  The 
fire  from  the  enemy  was  very  severe,  and  the  Spitfire  was 
frequently  struck.  During  this  time  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  witnessing  the  coolness  and  gallant  bearing  of  Com 
mander  Tattnall,  whose  guns  were  not  idle,  as  the  enemy 
can  testify.  The  fate  of  the  expedition  depended  mainly 
on  the  capture  of  that  fort,  for  we  had  two  others  to  en 
counter  before  we  could  capture  the  town.  The  Spitfires 
guns  silenced  the  fort  for  a  few  moments,  when  the  Com 
modore's  order  to  'land  and  storm'  was  given.  About  this 
time  a  grape  or  canister  shot  from  the  Pana  fort  wounded 
Tattnall  in  the  arm  severely.  The  boats  were  successful, 
and  in  an  hour  or  two  we  had  possession  of  the  three  forts 
and  the  city  of  Tuspan.  Notwithstanding  his  wound,  Tatt 
nall  retained  the  command  of  his  steamer  and  cared  but 
little  for  it,  as  we  were  successful.  As  usual,  his  energies 
were  devoted  to  his  duties." 

Another  brother  officer*  alluding  to  this  affair,  writes  as 
follows : 

*  Captain  Whittle. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  65 

"VIRGINIA,  June  30,  1871. 
"  EDITOR  KEPUBLICAN  : 

"In  justice  to  my  dear  old  friend,  Tattnall,  it  is  proper 
that  a  word  should  be  said,  and  I  say  it  to  you.  If  any  man 
knew  him,  I  did.  If  any  man  loved  him  (that  is  the  word), 
I  did.  Besides  frequent  occasional  and  most  intimate  as 
sociation  with  him,  both  personal  and  official,  in  a  career 
of  service  running  through  forty  years,  it  so  chanced  that, 
some  thirty  years  ago,  I  was  his  executive  officer  for  up 
wards  of  two  years  on  foreign  service.  I  was  consequently 
brought  into  the  most  intimate  and  confidential  intercourse 
with  him  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances.  In  the 
attack  on  Tuspan,  to  which  you  refer,  where  in  the  Spitfire, 
a  small  steamer,  he  led  in,  having  my  division  in  a  sailing 
gunboat  in  tow,  I  was  by  his  side  and  we  were  both  wound 
ed.  It  was  doubtful  if  the  bar  at  the  entrance  of  the  river 
could  be  passed  safely.  There  was  surf  upon  it  at  the  time. 
To  render  assurance  doubly  sure,  it  was  at  my  suggestion 
that  he  hauled  alongside  the  Raritan  frigate,  and,  using 
her  main  yard  for  the  purpose,  took  his  masts  out  and  left 
them  on  her  deck.  While  under  a  raking  and  tolerably 
well  sustained  fire  from  the  forts,  he  turned  to  me  and  said, 
his  fine  gray  eye  flashing  with  a  light  which  I  can  neither 
describe  nor  forget :  '  —  — ,  war  may  not  make  life  longer, 
but  it  makes  it  a  vast  deal  broader.  It  is  a  glorious 
pastime!' >: 

The  wound  which  Commander  Tattnall  received  in  this 
engagement  was  in  his  right  arm ;  and,  although  severe, 
did  not  disable  him  from  the  command  of  the  Spitfire  during 
the  continuance  of  the  action.  With  the  fall  of  Tuspan 
the  entire  Mexican  coast  from  Texas  to  Yucatan  passed 


66  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

practically  into  the  possession  of  the  United  States  forces. 
The  labors  of  the  navy  were  virtually  at  an  end,  and  Tatt- 
nall,  with  the  sanction  of  his  commanding  officer,  made 
arrangements  to  join  the  army  in  its  movement  upon  the 
City  of  Mexico.  He  purposed  going  in  the  capacity  of  aid 
to  General  Twiggs.  This  intention,  however,  he  was  re 
luctantly  compelled  to  abandon  in  consequence  of  the  con 
dition  of  his  wounded  arm  and  the  enfeebled  state  of  his 
health.  In  the  judgment  of  the  attending  surgeons  his 
return  to  the  United  States  was  deemed  necessary  to  his 
restoration.  There  being  no  further  active  work  for  the 
navy,  Tattnall  consented  to  be  relieved  of  the  command 
of  the  Spitfire,  and  in  June,  1847,  returned  home. 

The  Legislature  of  Georgia,*  at  its  first  session  held  after 
his  return  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  passed  a  unanimous 
resolution  of  thanks,  and  voted  him  a  sword  with  this  in 
scription  :  "  The  State  of  Georgia  to  Commander  Josiah 
Tattnall,  as  a  tribute  to  his  gallantry  in  the  Mexican  war." 
This  sword  was  in  due  season  presented  by  the  Governor 
of  the  State,  and  is  now  held  in  conditional  trust  by  the 
Georgia  Historical  Society  in  Savannah. 

*The  text  of  this  resolution  is  as  follows  :  "Whereas,  Captain  Josiah  Tattnall,  of  the 
United  States  Navy,  a  native  of  the  State  of  Georgia,  has  greatly  distinguished  himself 
in  every  portion  of  his  professional  career,  and  has  illustrated  the  State  which  gave  him 
birth,  by  uniform  devotion  and  bravery  in  the  service  of  that  gallant  arm  of  the  national 
defense,  and  m,ore  recently  at  the  siege  and  bombardment  of  Vera  Cruz,  as  Commander 
of  the  '  Mosquito  Fleet,'  signalized  himself  by  the  most  noble  and  heroic  conduct  and 
added  new  laurels  to  his  service,  and  greatly  honored  Georgia  : 

"  Therefore  be  it  unanimously  resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  State  of  Georgia  in  General  Assembly  met,  That  his  Excellency  the  Governor  cause 
to  be  procured  an  elegant  sword,  suitable  to  an  officer  of  his  rank,  to  be  inscribed  with 
proper  devices,  and  present  the  same  to  Captain  Tattnall  in  the  name  of  the  State,  to 
gether  with  a  copy  of  this  resolution." 

Assented  to  December  29th,  1847. 

See  Session  Laws  of  1847,  pp.  321,  322. 


CHAPTEK  SEVENTH. 


Again  in  command  of  the  Boston  Navy  Yard.  Promoted  to  the  grade  of 
Captain,  and  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  steam  frigate  Saranac. 
Detailed  for  special  service  in  Cuban  waters.  Prudent  and  efficient 
conduct  of  affairs  while  in  command  of  that  station.  Tn  charge  of  the 
Pensacola  Navy  Yard.  Yellow  fever  epidemic.  Threatened  with  vio 
lence.  Ordered  to  the  command  of  the  frigate  Independence.  De 
fective  equipment  of  this  vessel.  On  duty  at  the  Pacific  Station. 
Charges,  preferred  by  Commodore  Mervine,  dismissed  by  the  Navy  De 
partment.  Promoted  to  the  grade  of  Rear  Flag  Officer,  and  ordered  to 
the  command  of  the  naval  forces  in  the  East  India  and  China  seas. 
The  Powhatan  his  flag-ship.  Movements  and  services  while  on  this 
station.  Traaty  concluded  with  Japan. 

On  the  first  of  October,  1847,  Commander  Tattnall  was 
ordered  to  the  command  of  the  Navy  Yard  at  Boston.  This 
position  he  held  for  two  years,  and  then  received  a  leave 
of  absence.  On  the  5th  of  February,  1850,  he  was  promoted 
to  the  grade  of  Captain,  and  three  weeks  afterwards  was 
assigned  to  the  command  of  the  steam  frigate  Saranac,  a 
new  vessel  then  fitting  out  at  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire. 
This  ship  was  under  detail  to  form  one  of  the  East  India 
squadron.  While  in  the  Potomac  river,  in  May  of  that  year, 
he  received  secret  and  important  orders  from  the  Govern 
ment  to  proceed  with  all  dispatch  to  the  Cuban  waters,  first 
touching  at  Havana.  An  attempt  at  revolution,  in  Cuba, 
against  Spanish  rule,  aided  by  filibusters  from  the  United 
States,  had  just  occurred.  It  was  not  the  first  effort  of  the 
kind,  and  the  Spanish  squadron  had  resolved  to  capture 
all  vessels  suspected  of  being  engaged  in  the  service  of  the 
filibusters.  Our  naval  ships  then  in  Cuban  waters  had 


68  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

received  instructions  which  compelled  their  commanders  to 
resist  all  such  attempts  on  the  part  of  the  Spanish  men-of- 
war.  The  United  States  authorities  suddenly  were  made 
aware  of  the  fact  that  vessels  had  escaped  from  their  ports 
which  were  destined  for  Cuba  in  aid  of  the  revolutionists. 
Apprehending  the  probable  capture  of  some  of  them  by 
the  Spaniards,  and  their  forcible  recapture  by  United  States 
ships-of-war,  Tattnall  was  ordered  to  make  the  speediest 
passage  to  Havana,  and,  on  arrival,  to  take  command  of 
all  United  States  naval  vessels  present  in  Cuban  waters, 
and  act  according  to  circumstances.  He  was  to  avoid  all 
possible  offense  to  the  Spanish  Government,  and  at  the  same 
time  uphold  the  honor  of  our  flag. 

The  Saranac  was  put  in  sailing  trim  with  the  utmost 
dispatch,  and  set  out  on  her  voyage.  So  hasty  was  her 
departure,  that  she  was  unprovided  with  suitable  charts 
of  the  coasts  of  Florida  and  Cuba,  and  lacked  a  proper 
supply  of  nautical  instruments.  Captain  Tattnall,  however, 
relied  upon  his  knowledge,  acquired  during  previous  cruises, 
for  the  successful  navigation  of  his  vessel. 

The  passage  to  Havana  was  made  with  all  possible  ex 
pedition.  Just  before  his  arrival,  Captain  Tattnall  fell  in 
with  the  United  States  sloop-of-war  Albany, — Commander 
Y.  M.  Randolph, — cruising  off  that  port ;  and,  accompanied 
by  that  ship,  entered  the  harbor.  Commander  Randolph's 
object  in  cruising  off  this  port  was  to  intercept  a  Spanish 
frigate  and  forcibly  wrest  from  her  one  or  two  American 
vessels  which  she  had  captured  while  attempting,  as  it  was 
alleged,  to  invade  the  island  with  their  crews,  and  which 
she  was  then  purposing  to  take  into  Havana.  While  ap 
preciating  the  motives  and  spirited  conduct  of  Commander 
Randolph,  Captain  Tattnall  deemed  it  best,  under  the  cir- 


COMMODOEE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  69 

cumstances,  to  adopt  a  different  course.  So  soon  as  the 
Saranac  and  the  Albany  came  to  anchor,  Captain  Tattnall 
waited  upon  the  Captain-General  and  informed  him  that 
while  it  was  not  his  desire  or  purpose  to  seek  a  meeting 
with  the  Spanish  frigate,  nevertheless,  if  he  did  fall  in  with 
her  at  sea,  he  would  certainly  attempt  the  recapture  of 
any  American  vessels  she  might  have  in  her  possession. 
These  American  vessels  having  been  taken  while  violating 
the  recognized  principles  of  international  law  and  acting 
in  disregard  of  the  proclamation  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  it  was  the  design  of  the  Spanish  authorities 
to  bring  them  to  Havana.  So  impressed  was  the  Captain- 
General  with  the  determination  of  Captain  Tattnall  to  re 
take  these  vessels  if  found  at  sea,  that  he  immediately  issued 
instructions  that  they  should  not  depart  from  the  port  in 
which  they  then  were.  Thus  was  prevented  the  risk  of  a 
collision  which  might  have  caused  an  open  rupture  between 
the  two  governments.  Captain  Tattnali's  conduct  in  this 
matter  was  fully  approved  by  the  authorities  of  the  United 
States ;  and,  it  is  said,  his  letter  acquainting  the  De 
partment  with  his  action  and  the  reasons  upon  which  it 
was  based,  was  handsomely  complimented  at  a  Cabinet 
meeting  where  it  was  read  and  pronounced  a  model  report. 
The  moderate  course  which  he  felt  bound  to  adopt  was  so 
much  at  variance  with  his  impulses,  that  he  remarked  to 
a  brother  officer  that  he  experienced  great  difficulty  in 
overcoming  his  own  inclination  which  prompted  him  to  ap 
prove  and  participate  in  the  plans  which  his  friend,  Com 
mander  Randolph,  designed  to  pursue. 

It  was  insisted  by  the  United  States  Government  that 
vessels  carrying  its  flag  should  not  be  subject  to  examination 
by  the  armed  vessels  of  other  nationalities.  Upon  Captain 


THE  LIFE  AND   SEBVICES  OF 

Tattnall's  arrival  in  Havana  the  situation  of  affairs  was 
briefly  this:  The  American  vessels  detected  in  flagrant 
violation  of  international  law  and  the  President's  proclama 
tion  had  been  captured,  were  already  in  a  Spanish  Cuban 
port,  and  could  not  there  be  molested  by  United  States 
cruisers.  Should  they  be  brought  out  of  that  port,  how 
ever,  and  be  found  upon  the  high  seas  under  ctmvoy  of  the 
Spanish  frigate  which  had  been  ordered  to  bring  them  to 
Havana,  Tattnall  assured  the  Captain-General  he  would 
then  attempt  their  recapture.  This  placed  the  matter  of 
peace  or  war  practically  within  the  determination  of  that 
official.  If  the  status  quo  remained  unchanged,  the  capture 
of  the  vessels  claiming  the  protection  of  the  United  States 
would  then  form  the  subject  of  negotiation  between  the 
two  governments.  As  a  result  of  the  conference,  the  Cap 
tain-General  reconsidered  his  determination,  and  counter 
manded  his  order  to  bring  the  captured  vessels  to  Havana 
under  convoy  of  Spanish  vessels  of  war.  The  captured 
ships  remained  in  the  port  where  they  then  were  under  the 
guns  of  Spanish  forts,  within  Spanish  waters,  and  amena 
ble  to  the  jurisdiction  of  Spanish  law.  Thus,  through  Cap 
tain  Tattnall's  prudent  and  wise  action,  was  the  impending 
rupture  between  the  two  powers  avoided. 

Although  his  course  was,  as  we  have  seen,  warmly 
applauded  by  the  Department  at  home,  it  proved  quite 
distasteful  to  many  unthinking  and  reckless  men  who, 
regardless  of  the  honor  of  their  country,  eagerly  desired 
to  precipitate  a  war  with  Spain. 

The  Saranac  had  been  fitted  out  for  service  in  the  East 
Indies,  and  her  detention  upon  this  mission  caused  a 
change  in  her  destination.  Upon  her  return  to  the  waters 
of  the  United  States  she  was  designated  as  the  flag-ship 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  71 

of  Commodore  Parker.  While  she  bore  the  Commodore's 
flag  Captain  Tattnall  made  a  short  cruise  in  her ;  but,  at 
his  own  request,  was  soon  relieved,  and,  oil  the  first  of 
July,  1851,  was  ordered  to  the  general  command  of  the 
naval  station  at  Pensacola,  Florida. 

While  there,  the  yellow  fever  appeared  in  most  violent 
and  malignant  form,  causing  a  total  suspension  of  work 
in  the  dock-yard  and  creating  a  general  panic.  The 
disease  amounted  to  a  plague,  and  was  more  fatal  than 
any  visitation  of  like  character  which  had  been  previously 
known.  Captain  Tattnall  was  very  ill  with  the  fever,  and, 
at  one  time,  was  thought  to  be  in  a  dying  condition.  In 
fact,  his  demise  was  reported ;  and  obituary  notices,  highly 
eulogistic  of  his  private  character,  official  worth,  and  pub 
lic  services,  were  published  in  the  daily  journals  of  his 
native  city  and  elsewhere. 

During  the  continuance  of  this  command,  his  official 
action  in  scrutinizing  the  accounts  of  contractors  and  de 
feating  the  schemes  of  parties  who  were  attempting  to 
impose  upon  the  Government  provoked  the  resentment 
of  certain  individuals.  He  was  threatened  with  violence 
if  found  beyond  the  area  of  his  immediate  command. 
This  was  quite  sufficient  to  ensure  his  going  out  as  often 
as  practicable.  On  such  occasions  he  invariably  dismissed 
his  orderlies  from  personal  attendance  upon  him,  and  re 
fused  to  carry  any  weapon  other  than  a  heavy  stick. 
This,  in  his  hands,  was  a  powerful  instrument  of  defense. 
To  all  remonstrances  against  exposing  himself  alone  and 
without  a  pistol,  he  replied :  "  I  have  a  good  conscience 
and  a  good  stick."  Thus  he  went  his  way  unattended 
and  unattacked. 

On   the   first  of   September,  1854,  Captain   Tattnall   was 
11 


72  THE  LIFE  AN±)   SERVICES  Otf 

ordered  to  the  command  of  the  frigate  Independence,  then 
fitting  out  in  New  York  as  the  flag-ship  for  the  Pacific 
station.  Her  preparation  reflected  much  discredit  upon 
the  officer  of  equipment ;  but  the  urgency  of  the  Navy 
Department  in  getting  this  ship  to  sea  prevented  the  de 
velopment  of  many  defects  which  were  subsequently  dis 
covered  between  the  ports  of  New  York  and  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  Although  the  Independence  had  been  turned  over 
to  Captain  Tattnall  by  the  Navy  Yard  officials  as  fit  for 
a  voyage  round  the  world  and  furnished  for  an  absence 
of  three  years  from  the  States,  her  main  cap  was  found 
so  defective  that  it  was  condemned  by  survey,  and  the 
main  and  fore  yards  were  so  decayed  that  they  could 
not  be  trusted  for  a  passage  round  Cape  Horn.  These 
were  also  condemned.  To  prevent  delay  in  reaching  the 
Pacific,  Tattnall  shifted  all  the  yards  of  the  foremast  to 
the  mainmast,  and  substituted  a  main  topsail  for  a  fore- 
yard.  In  this  jury  rig  the  voyage  to  Valparaiso  was 
accomplished.  The  services  of  the  Independence  while  on 
the  Pacific  station  were  of  the  character  customary  in 
times  of  peace. 

At  Valparaiso,  shortly  after  the  arrival  of  his  ship  upon 
her  station,  Captain  Tattnall,  while  walking,  late  at  night, 
from  the  hotel  to  his  barge  at  the  landing,  was  suddenly, 
although  politely,  stopped  in  a  then  unfrequented  part  of 
the  city  by  a  fine  looking  man  whose  dress  and  manner 
were  unexceptionable.  The  stranger  said :  "I  wish  to 
thank  you,  Captain  Tattnall,  for  your  great  service  to  me 
years  ago.  You  appear  to  have  forgotten  me  and  the 
service  you  then  did  me.  The  latter  is  as  graceful  and 
natural  for  you  to  forget  as  it  is  for  me  to  remember. 
I  desire  to  pass  unrecognized  here,  but  to  you  I  will  recall 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  73 

a  name  of  the  past,"  and,  mentioning  his  name,  turned 
off  with  a  graceful  bow.  Captain  Tattnall  spoke  of  the 
meeting  to  his  son,  but  did  not  divulge  either  the  name 
of  the  individual  or  the  nature  of  the  service  rendered. 

While  the  Independence  was  upon  a  visit  to  San  Francisco 
in  1855,  so  frequent  and  bold  were  the  desertions,  that  the 
most  prompt  and  rigid  measures  were  requisite  to  prevent 
the  entire  disorganization  of  the  ship's  crew.  Tattnall 
communicated  the  facts  to  the  Commodore, — -William  Mer- 
vine, — and  with  his  sanction  adopted  such  methods  as  in 
his  judgment  were  best  calculated  to  correct  the  evil.  The 
Commodore  subsequently  exhibited  a  lack  of  moral  nerve 
in  carrying  out  the  line  of  coercion,  of  which  he  had  been 
fully  advised  and  which  he  had  emphatically  approved,  and 
turned  upon  Captain  Tattnall  with  words  of  condemnation. 
Such  conduct  Tattnall  never  allowed  from  any  quarter, 
however  prominent  in  rank,  and  he  at  once  put  upon  record, 
in  official  form,  his  impression  of  the  Commodore's  vacil 
lating  course, — a  course  which  would  not  have  given  him 
a  moment's  serious  thought  had  the  Commodore  not  at 
tempted  to  shield  himself,  behind  a  junior  officer,  from  the 
consequences  of  what  he  believed  might  prove  a  trouble 
some  exhibition  of  vigorous  administration,  and  against 
which  certain  fault-finders  at  Washington  might  enter  their 
protests.  So  incensed  was  the  Commodore  that  he  placed 
Captain  Tattnall  under  arrest,  and  sent  him  to  the  United 
States  under  charges.  Upon  considering  the  matter,  the 
Navy  Department  refused  to  bring  him  to  trial  upon  the 
charges  preferred  by  Commodore  Mervine,  and  summarily 
dismissed  them. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  May,  1856,  he  was  ordered  to  the 
command  of  the  naval  station  on  the  Lakes,  with  his  head- 


74  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

quarters  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  on  Lake  Ontario.  There  he 
remained  until  the  15th  of  October,  1857,  when  he  was 
directed  to  proceed  by  the  overland  route  to  the  East  Indies 
and  assume  command  of  the  naval  forces  in  the  East  India 
and  China  seas,  with  the  rank  of  Flag-Officer.  This  was  the 
first  step  taken  in  the  American  Navy  toward  the  establish 
ment  of  the  permanent  grade  of  Admiral. 

The  critical  status  of  the  relations  of  the  great  maritime 
powers  with  the  Empires  of  China  and  Japan  rendered  it 
imperative  that  the  United  States  Government  should  select 
as  the  commander  of  its  naval  forces  in  the  India  and  China 
seas  an  officer  of  the  highest  capacity,  one  of  enlarged 
experience,  in  whom  prudence  and  prompt  action  were  hap 
pily  blended,  and  who  could,  by  counsel  and  deed,  cooperate 
with  the  distinguished  gentlemen  charged  with  the  inau 
guration  of  advantageous  commercial  treaties  with  those 
distant  and  unique  peoples.  In  those  waters  were  then 
present  prominent  representatives  of  European  Governments 
intent  upon  a  similar  mission.  The  honor,  the  intelligence, 
the  dignity,  and  the  manhood  of  the  United  States  were 
emphatically  at  stake  in  this  congress  of  nations,  and  the 
selection  of  Tattnall  to  bear  the  Stars  and  Stripes  at  this 
juncture  was  at  once  a  recognition  of  his  deserts  and  a  mark 
of  confidence  most  pronounced.  Never  was  trust  better 
placed.  Among  the  names  of  the  actors  in  the  eventful 
scenes  which  there  transpired,  none  is  more  bravely  and 
honorably  remembered  than  that  of  Rear  Flag-Officer  Josiah 
Tattnall. 

Arrived  at  his  station  he  hoisted  his  broad  pendant  at 
the  main-royal  masthead  of  the  United  States  steamer  San 
Jacinto.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  Poivhatan,  however,  in 
May,  1858,  he  transferred  his  flag  to  that  ship.  A  salute  of 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  75 

thirteen  guns  was  fired  by  the  San  Jacinto,  as  a  farewell 
compliment,  and  this  was  responded  to  by  a  similar  salute 
from  his  new  flag-ship. 

This  occurred  at  Hong  Kong.  On  the  21st  of  May,  at 
daylight,  the  Poivhatan  was  under  way  for  the  Gulf  of 
Pecheelee.  As  the  course  to  that  gulf  lay  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  entrance  to  the  Woosung  river,  Commodore 
Tattnall  determined  to  visit  Shanghai,  hoping  to  receive 
definite  intelligence  from  the  scene  of  the  recent  warlike 
operations  of  the  French  and  English  at  the  mouth  of 
Pei-ho  river,  of  which  vague  accounts  had  reached  him 
before  leaving  Hong  Kong.  While  at  anchor  near  the 
"Saddle  islands,"  sixty  miles  from  Woosung,  he  fell  in 
with  the  Mississippi,  and  learned  from  her  officers  that 
the  American  Minister,  "the  Hon.  William  B.  Read,  had 
nearly  concluded  a  treaty  of  amity  and  commerce  with 
the  Chinese  Commissioners  at  Tientsin,  when  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  forts  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho  by  the  bel 
ligerent  allies  quashed  the  whole  business,  and  rendered 
it  necessary  for  him  to  await  the  result  of  their  less  pacific 
mode  of  negotiation." 

Having  remained  at  Shanghai  until  the  first  of  June, 
whither  he  had  proceeded  in  his  barge, — leaving  the 
Powhatan  at  Woosung, — to  collect  all  the  information  he 
could  secure  relating  to  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  Gulf 
of  Pecheelee,  he  returned  to  the  ship  which  left  the 
muddy  waters  of  the  Woosung  the  next  morning  en  route 
for  the  gulf.  In  the  language  of  the  Executive  Officer 
of  the  Poivhatan, — Lieutenant  James  D.  Johnston, — Com 
modore  Tattnall's  "patriotic  and  professional  pride  revolted 
at  the  idea  of  appearing  among  the  large  number  of 
English  and  French  men-of-war  anchored  off  the  mouth 


76  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES   OF 

of  the  Pei-ho,  in  the  character  of  a  passive  spectator,— 
or  'jackall  to  the  British  lion' — with  which  opprobrious 
epithet,  among  others,  the  press  in  China  had  stigmatized 
the  position  assumed  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  in  its  diplomatic  intercourse  with  the  Chinese.  But 
there  was  no  alternative.  The  stern  commands  of  duty 
had  to  be  obeyed  at  every  sacrifice  of  personal  feeling, 
and  no  time  was  lost  in  continuing  our  voyage  to  the 
scene  of  action."* 

Nearly  a  month  was  passed  in  the  Gulf  of  Pecheelee 
in  exchange  of  courtesies  and  watching  the  progress  of 
events  rendered  exceedingly  tardy  and  uncertain  by  obsti 
nate  mandarins. 

Mr.  Head  having  determined  to  proceed  to  Shanghai 
in  the  Minnesota,  that  she  might  replenish  her  supplies, 
and  thence  sail  for  Japan,  Commodore  Tattnall,  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  5th  of  July,  steamed  for  the  beautiful  bay 
of  Nagasaki.  A  pleasant  passage  of  nearly  four  days,  and 
then  the  Powhatan  found  anchorage  at  her  port  of  destina 
tion.  Of  the  interchange  of  hospitalities,  and  the  pleasures 
experienced  at  this  point,  Lieutenant  Johnston  has  left  a 
happy  record,  but  the  limits  of  this  sketch  do  not  permit 
us  to  reproduce  his  interesting  narrative.  From  Nagasaki 
the  Commodore  proceeded  to  Simoda,  and  thence  to  the 
bay  of  Yedo,  where,  on  the  29th  of  July,  1858,  a  treaty 
of  amity  and  commerce  was  concluded  between  the 
United  States  and  the  Empire  of  Japan. 

This  important  matter  having  been  pleasantly  and  ad 
vantageously  accomplished,  the  Powhatan  returned  to 
Shanghai,  whence  the  Commodore  sent  a  bearer  of  dis 
patches  to  the  United  States,  conveying  to  the  State  De- 

*  China  and  Japan,  &c.,  p.  86.    Philadelphia,  1860. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  77 

partment  a  copy  of  the  important  treaty  which  had  just 
been  concluded  with  the  Japanese  Government.  One  of 
the  stipulations  of  that  treaty  provided  that  a  Japanese  Em 
bassy  should  visit  the  United  States  to  exchange  its  ratifica 
tion  at  Washington.  Voluntarily,  and  upon  his  own  re 
sponsibility  as  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  naval  forces  in 
China  and  Japan,  Commodore  Tattnall  placed  at  the  dis 
posal  of  the  members  of  that  Embassy,  through  Mr.  Harris, 
one  of  the  vessels  under  his  command  to  convey  them  to 
Panama  or  to  Washington,  as  they  might  prefer. 

The  cholera  being  prevalent  at  Shanghai,  the  Commodore 
left  that  port  on  the  6th  of  September  for  the  beautiful  bay 
of  Nagasaki,  which  was  reached  on  the  10th.  While  at 
Shanghai  he  had  exchanged  courtesies  of  the  most  generous 
character  with  the  Taou-tai,  or  Governor  of  the  city.  He 
omitted  no  opportunity,  during  his  command  in  these  seas, 
to  conciliate  the  native  rulers  and  impress  them  with  an 
exalted  conception  of  the  dignity  and  hospitality  of  the 
American  officer. 

While  at  anchor  at  Nagasaki  the  soldiers  and  sailors  con 
stituting  the  crew  of  the  Powhatan  were  carefully  instructed 
and  drilled  in  the  various  exercises  which  contributed  to  the 
efficiency  of  the  ship  as  a  man-of-war.  The  active  service 
hitherto  performed  had,  to  a  certain  extent,  precluded  that 
attention  to  a  portion  of  these  exercises  which  was  univer 
sally  desired  by  the  officers.  This  routine  of  duties  was 
happily  supplemented  by  periodical  recreation,  which  proved 
interesting  and  instructive.  During  this  visit  the  official 
announcement  of  the  death  of  the  Tycoon  caused  a  great 
sensation  among  the  natives.  Having  established  most  cor 
dial  relations  with  the  Japanese  officials,  and  with  the  com 
manders  of  the  Eussian  and  French  men-of-war  newly  ar- 


THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   6tf 

rived  in  the  harbor,  being  anxious  to  send  dispatches  to  the 
United  States,  and  having  grown  somewhat  restless  during 
this  period  of  inactivity,  the  Commodore  determined  to 
return  to  Shanghai,  for  which  place  the  Poivhatan  sailed 
on  the  31st  of  October.  The  anchorage  near  Woosung  was 
reached  three  days  afterwards.  Finding  that  the  presence 
of  the  Powhatan  was  not  here  required,  the  ship  sailed  on 
the  7th  of  November  for  Hong  Kong,  which  was  made  in 
less  than  four  days.  There  some  two  weeks  were  consumed 
in  holding  a  court  martial  for  the  trial  of  some  officers  and 
men  of  the  Mississippi.  This  business  concluded,  the  Com 
modore  sailed  for  Whampoa,  at  which  place  the  Powhatan 
anchored  on  the  llth  of  December. 


CHAPTER  EIGHTH. 


.Receives  the  United  States  Minister, — the  Hon.  John  E.  Ward, — on  board 
the  Powliatan  at  Penang.  Return  to  Hong  Kong.  Minister  Ward. 
Off  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho  river.  Lieutenant  Johnston's  account 
of  the  affair  of  the  Pei-ho.  Flag-Officer  Tattnall's  report  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Official  correspondence. 

Having  received  a  letter  from  the  Department  express 
ing  its  appreciation  of  the  services  he  had  rendered  Mr. 
Harris  in  consummating  the  treaty  with  Japan,  and  sanction 
ing  his  offer  of  a  vessel  to  convey  the  Embassy  either  to 
Panama  or  to  the  United  States  as  its  members  might 
prefer,  Commodore  Tattnall  was  on  the  eve  of  leaving 
Hong  Kong  for  Japan  that  he  might  facilitate  the  de 
parture  of  the  Japanese  Commissioners,  when  he  received 
an  order  from  the  Navy  Department  directing  the  Pow- 
hatan  to  proceed  without  delay  to  Signapore  and  there 
await  the  arrival  of  the  Hon.  John  E.  Ward, — 'the  newly 
appointed  Minister  to  China, — who  was  to  be  conveyed 
in  that  ship  to  his  destination. 

Having  dispatched  the  Germantown  to  communicate  with 
the  Mississippi,  which  had  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of 
the  Japanese  Embassy,  Commodore  Tattnall  proceeded  in 
the  execution  of  this  order,  and  in  the  Poivhafan  reached 
Singapore,  in  less  than  six  days.  The  interval  between 
arrival  at  this  port  and  the  coming  of  the  Minister, — who 
had  been  delayed  in  his  movements, — was  improved  and 
beguiled  by  a  brief  visit  to  Malacca  and  Penang.  The 

sojourn  of  the  Commodore  at  this  latter  place  was  rendered 
12 


80  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

most  enjoyable  by  the  distinguished  hospitalities  extended, 
and  marks  of  respect  shown  him. 

On  the  28th  of  April  a  steamer  arrived  at  Penang  with 
the  American  flag  flying  at  the  fore  in  compliment  to  the 
presence  on  board  of  his  Excellency  John  E.  Ward,  Envoy 
Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  China.  A 
salute  of  seventeen  guns  was  fired,  and  the  meeting  between 
the  Minister  and  the  Commodore  was  most  cordial.  Geor 
gians  both,  and  personal  friends,  most  happy  was  the  re 
newal  on  the  instant  of  their  former  acquaintance.  Their 
association  was  on  all  occasions  confidential,  intimate,  and 
most  agreeable. 

The  broad  pendant  so  long  worn  by  commanders  of 
squadrons  in  the  United  States  navy  at  the  main-royal  mast 
head  had  been,  some  months  before,  in  obedience  to  an 
order  from  the  Navy  Department,  hauled  down,  and  in  its 
stead  was  hoisted  at  the  mizen  a  square  blue  flag  in  token 
of  the  new  title  of  Flag-officer,  virtually  proclaiming  the 
position  and  authority  of  an  Admiral.  Delaying  his  de 
parture  for  a  few  days  that  the  Minister,  and  officers  of  the 
ship  might  partake  of  some  final  and  marked  hospitalities 
extended  by  the  principal  citizens  of  Penang,  whose  courtesy 
and  generosity  had  known  no  bounds,  the  Commodore  sailed 
on  the  1st  of  May  with  the  Minister  on  board.  Passing 
Singapore  without  stopping,  Hong  Kong  was  reached  on 
the  10th,  where  Mr.  Ward  was  for  several  days  busily  en 
gaged  in  receiving  and  returning  visits  from  all  the  foreign, 
diplomatic,  and  naval  dignitaries  in  the  city  and  harbor. 
The  usual  noisy  testimonials  of  respect  were  exchanged  on 
each  occasion. — the  Powlmtan  answering  all  salutes  to  her 
honored  guest. 

"The  passage  to  Hong  Kong,"  writes  Lieutenant  John- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  81 

ston,*  "was  marked  by  nothing  of  material  interest,  apart 
from  the  pleasure  we  derived  from  the  society  of  our  dis 
tinguished  passengers,  for  whom  a  universal  feeling  of  re 
spect  and  friendly  regard  was  entertained  by  the  officers 
of  the  ship.  Mr.  Ward  was  considered  a  fine  specimen  of 
a  Southern  gentleman,  and  a  better  representative  of  the 
diplomatic  corps  of  our  country  than  is  ordinarily  appointed 
to  any  other  than  a  first-class  European  mission. 

"The  unsettled  condition  of  the  relations  between  China 
and  the  great  commercial  nations  of  the  earth  rendered  it 
particularly  desirable  that  our  country  should  be  represented, 
at  this  time,  by  a  man  of  great  ability  and  political  acumen, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Ward  was  admirably  well 
calculated  to  sustain  the  dignity  and  honor,  as  well  as 
the  commercial  interests  of  his  country,  in  any  emergency 
that  might  arise." 

The  Powhatan  was  speedily  put  in  condition  for  a  six 
months'  absence  from  this,  the  only  depot  for  provisions 
on  the  station ;  and  on  the  16th  of  May,  the  English 
steamer  Toey-ivan,  of  175  tons  burthen,  was  chartered  by 
the  Flag-officer  for  a  period  of  five  months,  and  equipped 
for  service  as  "tender  to  the  ship  for  the  purpose  of  con 
veying  the  Minister  and  his  suite  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Pei-ho  to  Tientsin,  to  which  point  there  was  no  doubt  en 
tertained  of  his  being  allowed  to  ascend." 

On  the  morning  of  the  18th, — the  Minister  and  suite  on 
board  and  the  Toey-wan  in  tow, — the  Poivhatan  proceeded 
to  sea  on  the  long  northern  cruise  for  which  she  was 
thoroughly  prepared. 

Touching  at  Ningpo  to  take  on  board  the  Reverend  Wm. 
A.  P.  Martin,  whose  knowledge  of  the  Mandarin  dialect, — 

*  China  and  Japan,  &c.,  p.  211.    Philadelphia,  1860. 


82  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

which  is  altogether  used  in  diplomatic  intercourse  with 
Chinese  officials, — rendered  his  services  indispensable  to 
Mr.  Ward,  the  Commodore  pursued  his  voyage  to  Woosung, 
whence  the  American  Minister  paid  an  official  visit  to  the 
the  Imperial  Commissioners,  Kiveiliang  and  Hwashana,  with 
whom  he  desired  to  have  an  interview  in  reference  to  the 
ratification  of  the  treaty  negotiated  by  Mr.  Reed  in  June, 
1858. 

The  time  having  arrived  for  the  presence  of  Mr.  Ward 
at  the  point  agreed  upon  for  the  ratification  of  the  treaty, 
he  returned  with  his  suite  to  the  Powhatan  on  the  17th  of 
June,  and  preparations  were  made  for  immediate  departure. 
The  anchorage  off  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho  was  reached 
early  on  the  morning  of  the  21st. 

The  allied  fleet  there  assembled  consisted  of  twenty-one 
steamers  of  various  sizes.  On  board  the  greatest  activity 
apparently  prevailed  as  if  in  anticipation  of  important 
events ;  for  it  had  been  ascertained  that  the  Chinese  "  had 
rebuilt  the  fortifications  destroyed  the  year  previous,  and 
placed  additional  obstructions  across  the  entrance  of  the 
river  which  they  obstinately  refused  to  remove  to  permit 
the  foreign  envoys  to  pass  to  Tientsin." 

The  details  of  this  memorable  affair  of  the  Pei-ho  we 
present  as  they  were  penned  by  Lieutenant  Johnston,  ex 
ecutive  officer  of  the  Powkatan,  and  an  eye  witness  of  the 
events  as  they  transpired : 

"The  English  Admiral's  demands  to  this  effect,  were  met 
with  the  impudent  duplicity  for  which  the  natives  of  the 
'  middle  kingdom'  are  so  distinguished ;  the  gigantic  coolie, 
who  received  all  communications  addressed  to  the  fo£ts, 
declaring  that  they  were  defended  only  by  a  few  volunteer 
braves,  stationed  there  to  destroy  pirates  and  resist  any 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  83 

attempt  of  the  rebels  to  advance  upon  Peking  by  that  route  ; 
stating  also  that  his  orders  were  to  fire  upon  any  man-of-war 
that  might  endeavor  to  pass  the  barriers  or  booms. 

"  The  bar,  or  rather  extended  flat,  which  has  been  formed 
by  the  accumulated  deposit  caused  by  the  strong  tides  of 
the  river,  and  reaches  about  five  miles  outside  of  its  en 
trance,  precluded  the  possibility  of  anchoring  the  larger 
vessels  within  that  distance  of  the  forts,  and  even  the  gun 
boats  and  tenders  were  compelled  to  await  a  favorable  tide 
to  cross  this  plateau,  upon  which  the  depth  of  water  never 
exceeded  ten  feet.  On  the  24th,  Admiral  Hope,  in  the 
tender  Coromandel,  the  French  Commodore  in  the  Norza- 
garay,  and  Flag-officer  Tattnall  in  the  Toey-ivan,  .the  latter 
having  also  on  board  Mr.  Ward  and  suite,  with  Captain 
Pearson,  of  the  Poivliatan,  and  Captain  Taylor,  of  the 
marine  guard  of  the  same  ship,  crossed  this  bar,  accom 
panied  by  thirteen  gun-boats,  all  of  which  anchored  in  the 
mouth  of  the  river. 

"The  Toey-wan  grounded  immediately  under  the  guns 
of  the  forts,  and  as  soon  as  her  situation  was  made  known 
to  Admiral  Hope,  he  dispatched  the  gun-boat  Plover  to 
tow  her  off;  but  the  chain  used  for  this  purpose  having 
parted,  the  attempt  to  extricate  her  from  the  ticklish  posi 
tion  into  which  she  had  fallen  was  relinquished,  and  she 
remained  stationary  until  sunset,  when  the  tide  floated 
her  off;  previous  to  which,  however,  the  Admiral  offered 
the  entire  use  of  one  of  his  gun-boats  to  Flag-officer  Tatt 
nall,  requesting  him  to  hoist  his  flag  on  board,  and  retain 
her  as  long  as  he  desired.  This  magnanimous  proposition 
was,  of  course,  declined,  although  the  generous  feeling 
which  prompted  it  was  very  highly  appreciated.  Meanwhile 
the  Flag-officer  sent  his  barge  with  the  Kev.  Mr.  Martin 


84  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

and  four  others,  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  the  chances  of 
obtaining  a  passage  up  the  river  for  this  little  steamer  with 
her  passengers ;  but  they  were  met  by  the  same  brawny 
representative  of  the  Emperor  who  had  received  the  English 
Admiral's  communications,  and  the  same  evasive  replies 
returned  to  the  inquiries.  He  condescended,  however,  to 
inform  the  interpreter  that  orders  had  been  issued  by  his 
august  Master  to  the  Governor-General  of  the  province, 
Hangfuh  by  name,  to  make  arrangements  for  conducting 
the  foreign  Ministers  to  Peking  from  the  town  of  Pehtang, 
situated  a  few  miles  north  of  the  Pei-ho,  on  the  coast.  He 
declined,  though,  to  send  the  Minister's  card  to  the  Gov 
ernor-General,  to  furnish  conveyance  for  a  messenger,  or 
a  pilot  to  guide  the  steamer  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  upon 
whose  banks  this  hitherto  unheard-of  town  was  built.  No 
information  could  be  elicited  from  this  obliging  subordinate, 
respecting  the  force  within  the  forts,  a  matter  of  some  curi 
osity  to  us,  and  of  vital  consequence  to  the  menacing  Allies ; 
but  the  gracious  assurance  was  vouchsafed  that  no  harm 
would  be  done  to  the  Toey-wan,  unless  she  attempted  to 
remove  the  booms,  which  was  not  very  likely  under  the 
circumstances. 

"The  Flag-officer  communicated  the  result  of  this  inter 
view  to  the  English  Admiral,  but  as  he  had  already  deter 
mined  to  comply  with  Mr.  Bruce' s  request  to  open  a  passage 
to  Tientsin  for  him,  via  the  Pei-ho,  the  information  came  too 
late  to  be  of  any  service,  although  it  might  have  been,  if 
the  English  Minister  would  have  consented  to  pursue  the 
now  route  indicated.  The  absence  of  the  usual  Chinese 
display  of  flags  and  men  on  the  walls  of  their  forts  in  the 
presence  of  an  enemy,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  port 
holes  being  covered  with  mats,  no  doubt,  deceived  the 


COMMODORE    JOSIAS  TATTNALL.  £5 

Admiral  into  the  belief  that  they  were  not  very  strongly 
defended;  but,  at  all  events,  he  was  bound  to  make  the 
attempt  to  force  a  passage  up  the  river,  and  as  the  day  was 
near  at  hand  when  the  Minister  should  be  in  Peking  (the 
27th),  he  ordered  one  of  the  gun-boats  to  commence  the 
removal  of  the  stakes  composing  the  first  barrier,  on  the 
night  succeeding  the  interview  referred  to.  A  single  gun 
was  fired  from  one  of  the  forts  at  the  vessel  employed  in 
this  work,  but  she  persevered  until  an  opening  was  made 
sufficiently  wide  to  admit  of  her  passage. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  25th,  the  gun-boats  were  ar 
ranged  in  order  of  battle,  preparatory  to  attacking  the  forts ; 
and  just  as  the  Admiral  had  completed  his  preparations,  a 
boat  was  seen  coming  from  the  shore  containing  a  Chinese 
official,  who  held  in  his  hand  a  large  document,  which  he 
displayed  in  such  manner  as  to  attract  the  Admiral's  atten 
tion,  but  he  directed  the  bearer  to  be  warned  off,  saying 
that  it  was  too  late  for  negotiation.  At  a  quarter  before 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  Admiral  advanced  in 
the  gun-boat  Plover  through  the  first  barrier,  and  ran 
full  speed  against  the  second,  the  vessel  rebounding  con 
siderably  with  the  shock ;  at  this  moment  the  forts  on  each 
side  of  the  river  opened  a  terrific  fire  upon  the  assembled 
vessels — the  first  shot  taking  off  the  head  of  one  of  the 
men  at  the  bow  gun,  and  mortally  wounding  three  others. 
The  fire  was  instantly  returned,  and  kept  up  with  unwaver 
ing  skill  and  undaunted  courage  for  nearly  three  hours, 
although  the  shot  from  seven  different  forts  were  falling 
among  them  with  the  most  deadly  effect,  and  producing  a 
scene  of  carnage  and  destruction  almost  without  a  parallel 
in  naval  warfare.  The  receding  tide  conspired  with  the 
overwhelming  superiority  of  the  Chinese  force,  to  destroy 


86  teE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 


or  render  useless  the  staunch  and  dauntless  little  gun-boats, 
leaving  two  of  them  aground  in  such  positions  as  to  render 
it  impossible  for  them  to  do  any  execution  with  their  bat 
teries,  while  two  others  were  sunk  at  their  anchors,  and 
still  two  more  forced  to  withdraw  from  the  action  in  a  sink 
ing  condition,  and  seek  the  poor  refuge  afforded  by  the 
adjacent  flats,  where  their  injuries  could  be  repaired  during 
low  tide.  At  about  5  P.  M.,  a  young  midshipman  came  on 
board  the  Toey-ivan  from  a  neighboring  gun-boat  to  inform 
Flag-officer  Tattnall  that  the  English  Admiral  had  trans 
ferred  his  flag  to  the  Cormorant  dispatch-boat,  and  had 
been  seriously  wounded.  While  standing  on  the  'bridge' 
(a  light  platform  raised  five  or  six  feet  above  the  deck  and 
extending  across  the  vessel,)  a  shot  came  from  one  of  the 
forts,  and  striking  the  chain  'life-line'  extended  along  its 
edges,  drove  three  links  into  his  thigh,  causing  him  to  fall 
heavily  upon  the  deck  below,  by  which  three  of  his  ribs 
were  broken.  In  addition  to  this,  there  were  but  six  men 
remaining  on  duty  on  board  the  Plover,  out  of  a  crew  of 
thirty-seven,  and  as  the  little  Middy  informed  the  Flag- 
omcer  of  these  disasters,  he  looked  wistfully  toward  a  num 
ber  of  large  boats  anchored  below  the  line  of  fire,  and  stated 
that  the  Admiral  was  extremely  anxious  to  bring  into  action 
the  reinforcements  which  they  contained.  As  the  strength 
of  the  tide  rendered  it  impossible  to  effect  this  object  with 
out  the  assistance  of  a  steamer,  and  the  Toey-wan  was 
anchored  near  these  boats,  Flag-officer  Tattnall  yielded  to 
the  generous  and  noble  impulse  which  prompted  him  to 
render  this  unsolicited  service  to  the  gallant  Admiral,  toward 
whom  he  felt  under  obligations  for  the  prompt  and  hand 
some  manner  in  which  he  had,  the  day  previous,  proffered 
him  the  use  of  one  of  his  vessels.  The  suggestion  was  made 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  87 

to  him  that  the  step  he  contemplated  would  involve  a  viola 
tion  of  the  neutral  position  occupied  by  his  country  in  the 
belligerent  turn  which  affairs  had  taken,  but  he  replied, 
'blood  is  thicker  than  water,'  and  ordered  the  Toey-ivan 
to  be  got  under  way  immediately,  and  to  proceed  to  tow  the 
reserve  force  in  the  boats  up  to  the  point  where  their  pres 
ence  was  so  much  needed — Mr.  Ward  and  Captain  Pearson 
expressing  their  approbation  of  the  Flag-officer's  deter 
mination. 

"At  twenty  minutes  before  8  P.  M.,  a  storming  party  of 
six  hundred  men,  under  the  command  of  the  senior  Captain 
of  the  fleet,  landed  on  the  muddy  bank  of  the  river,  im 
mediately  abreast  of  one  of  the  forts,  which  was  not  more 
than  four  hundred  yards  distant.  Many  of  these  men  were 
shot  down  in  the  mud  before  reaching  the  dry  ground,  and 
here  they  encountered  three  wide  ditches,  two  of  which 
were  filled  with  water,  and  the  third  with  large  iron  spikes, 
over  which  it  seemed  impossible  to  pass  alive.  While  en 
deavoring  to  overcome  these  apparently  insurmountable  ob 
stacles,  the  Chinese  sharp-shooters  which  lined  the  walls 
of  the  fort,  were  throwing  up  fire-balls  so  profusely  as  to 
illumine  the  entire  ground  in  front,  and  firing  upon  their 
assailants  with  such  deadly  effect  that  but  few  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  walls  of  the  fort,  although  most  gallantly 
cheered  onward  by  their  commanding  officer.  More  than 
one-third  of  their  number  were  either  drowned  in  the 
ditches  or  killed  by  the  destructive  fire  of  the  enemy ;  and 
it  was  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  before  the  survivors  of 
this  desperate  attack  found  their  way  back  to  their  vessels, 
the  command  having  finally  devolved  upon  the  officer  who 
was  the  third  in  rank  at  the  time  of  landing. 

"After  the  Toey-wan  had  towed  the  first  detachment  of 
13 


88  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

the  reserve  force  into  action,  Flag-officer  Tattnall  felt  in 
honor  bound  to  call  upon  the  English  Admiral,  and  offer 
his  personal  sympathy  and  assistance.  Without  giving  a 
thought,  therefore,  to  the  imminent  hazard  to  which  he 
would  expose  his  own  life,  and  consulting  only  his  duty  as  a 
man,  and  the  honor  of  the  profession  of  which  he  has  always 
been  regarded  as  an  ornament,  he  ordered  his  barge  to  be 
manned,  and  accompanied  by  his  Flag-lieutenant,  S.  D. 
Trenchard,  pulled  alongside  of  the  Cormorant,  through  the 
midst  of  the  tremendous  fire  which  the  forts  still  continued 
to  pour  into  that  devoted  vessel ;  the  Chinamen  recognizing 
the  Admiral's  flag  at  her  mast-head.  Just  as  the  barge 
came  within  a  few  feet  of  the  side-ladder,  a  shot  struck 
one  of  the  oars,  and  entering  the  boat,  passed  through  her 
bottom  on  the  opposite  side,  coming  within  a  few  inches 
of  the  Flag-officer,  and  finding  its  exit  between  the  legs  of 
his  Flag-lieutenant,  as  he  sat  in  the  'stern-sheets.'  Fortu 
nately  they  were  close  enough  to  the  gangway  to  reach  the 
ladder  before  the  boat  sunk,  and  they  were  soon  on  the  deck 
of  the  steamer,  not,  however,  without  a  more  serious  mis 
fortune  than  the  sinking  of  the  boat — the  Coxswain  having 
received  a  mortal  wound  on  the  side  of  his  head,  inflicted, 
it  was  supposed,  by  a  splinter  from  the  oar  that  had  been 
shattered  by  the  shot.  He  was  taken  on  board  the  steamer, 
and  immediately  afterward  conveyed  to  the  hospital  vessel, 
where  he  died  in  a  few  hours,  without  having  spoken  from 
the  moment  the  singular  catastrophe  occurred.  His  name 
was  John  Hart,  and  a  finer  specimen  of  a  seamen  is  seldom 
met  with.  The  Flag-officer  was  exceedingly  grieved  at  his 
loss,  as  he  regarded  him  with  a  feeling  of  personal  attach 
ment,  growing  out  of  his  long  and  faithful  services.  Com 
modore  Tattnall  returned  to  the  Toey-wan  in  a  boat  fur- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  89 

nislied  by  the  commander  of  the  Cormorant.  While  the 
boat's  crew  were  detained  on  the  deck  of  the  Cormorant, 
they  observed  that  one  of  the  guns  was  very  short  of  men 
to  work  it,  and  several  of  them  immediately  stepped  forward 
unsolicited,  and  rendered  all  the  assistance  in  their  power 
during  the  few  minutes  they  remained  on  board. 

"  The  allied  forces  were  occupied  during  the  whole  night, 
after  these  painful  and  thrilling  events,  in  endeavoring  to 
recover  their  scattered  boats  and  men,  and  to  preserve  as 
much  of  the  property  on  board  their  sunken  vessels  as  could 
possibly  be  recovered,  and  this  in  spite  of  the  unceasing  fire 
kept  up  by  the  victorious  enemy,  the  boom  of  whose  heavy 
guns  was  frequently  heard  breaking  the  still  gloom  of  the 
night,  and  giving  fatal  utterance  to  his  foul  and  cruel 
treachery. 

"Early  on  the  following  morning  the  Toey-ivan  returned 
to  her  anchorage,  near  the  Powhatan,  bringing  out  a  large 
number  of  the  marines  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  battle, 
and  also  the  body  of  John  Hart,  which  was  buried  about  a 
mile  from  the  ship  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  As  soon 
as  the  Minister  and  other  passengers  on  board  the  tender 
were  transferred  to  the  ship,  I  was  directed  by  the  Flag- 
officer  to  assume  temporary  command  of  that  vessel,  and 
repair  on  board  the  English  tender  at  anchor  outside  the 
bar,  for  the  purpose  of  offering  any  further  services  the 
Toey-ivan  might  be  capable  of  rendering,  apart  from  actual 
engagement  in  battle.  The  Admiral  seemed  to  be  highly 
gratified  by  this  unexpected  attention,  and  requested  that 
I  would  proceed  to  the  mouth  of  the  river  and  report  the 
object  of  my  visit  to  Captain  Willes,  the  Captain  of  the  Flag 
ship.  Availing  of  a  favorable  tide,  I  crossed  the  bar,  and 
anchored  near  the  large  dispatch  vessel  Nimrod,  which  was 


90  .  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

just  outside  the  ordinary  line  of  fire,  though  occasionally 
reached  by  a  shot  from  one  of  the  heavier  guns.  The  next 
morning  Captain  Willes  came  on  board  and  took  breakfast 
with  me,  assuring  me  it  was  the  first  meal  he  had  tasted 
for  thirty-six  hours.  He  requested  me  to  remain  until  10 
p.  M.,  at  which  time  the  tide  would  seive  to  cross  the  bar, 
and  convey  to  the  transport  Assistance,  at  anchor  outside, 
a  portion  of  the  marine  force  which  had  found  temporary 
shelter  on  board  the  junks,  seized  for  this  purpose  by  the 
Admiral's  orders,  previous  to  the  bombardment.  This  re 
quest  was  cheerfully  complied  with,  and  the  service  per 
formed  ;  after  which  I  returned  to  the  Powliatan  at  2  A.  M. 
on  the  28th,  with  the  thanks  of  the  Admiral,  and  the  as 
surance  that  the  Toey-ivans  assistance  was  no  longer  re 
quired,  as  two  of  the  sunken  gun-boats  had  been  raised, 
and  nearly  all  the  men  had  returned  to  their  respective 
vessels. 

"  While  lying  at  anchor  in  the  entrance  of  the  river,  I  had 
a  good  opportunity  of  observing  the  defenses  constructed 
by  the  Chinese  during  the  year  which  had  elapsed  since 
their  total  demolition  by  the  allied  squadrons,  under  Admi 
rals  Seymour  and  De  Genouilly,  with  a  force  of  two  thousand 
five  hundred  men ;  and  whatever  may  be  said  of  the  ignor 
ance  and  cowardice  of  the  race,  there  can  be  no  question 
of  their  industry,  or  of  the  adequacy  of  the  works  they  had 
thrown  up,  to  resist  almost  any  force  that  could  be  assem 
bled  in  the  entrance  of  the  narrow  river,  for  the  purpose 
of  forcing  its  passage.  There  were  no  less  than  seven 
different  forts,  mounting  eighty-seven  guns  that  could  be 
seen  through  the  embrasures,  and  among  them  there  were 
several  throwing  solid  shot  as  large  as  our  8-inch  shells ; — 
how  many  there  were  that  could  not  be  seen,  will  never  be 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  91 

positively  ascertained,  I  imagine,  as  the  Chinese  are  not 
particularly  communicative  on  such  subjects  to  foreigners. 
The  obstructions  placed  across  the  river  extended  from  a 
point  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  outside  of  the  two  forts 
immediately  at  its  mouth,  a  distance  of  three  miles  or  more 
beyond  their  inner  walls,  two  lines  of  abattis  forming  the 
outer  barriers,  above  which  there  were  two  booms  con 
structed  of  large  logs  of  timber  secured  together  by  heavy 
chains,  and  stretched  endwise  across  the  stream  at  conve 
nient  points ;  constituting,  altogether,  about  as  formidable 
an  obstacle  to  progress  as  could  readily  be  conceived,  even 
by  those  cunning  and  persistent  enemies  to  the  moving 
spirit  of  the  age  in  which  we  live.  In  addition  to  this,  the 
mud  flats,  which  were  left  bare  at  low  water,  extended  a 
hundred  yards  or  more  from  the  channel,  on  each  bank  of 
the  river;  and  they  were  sown  broadcast  with  caltrops, 
rendering  the  passage  between  the  channel  and  the  forts 
sufficiently  hazardous,  even  to  those  who  might  have  the 
strength  to  stagger  through  the  sticky  mud,  and  the  skill 
to  dodge  the  fire  of  the  jingalls  and  Minie  rifles,  poured 
upon  them  from  the  parapet  walls. 

"The  beautiful  dispatch- vessel  Cormorant,  which  had 
figured  so  conspicuously  in  the  capture  of  these  forts  the 
year  previous,  now  laid  with  her  stern  hard  aground  within 
three  hundred  yards  of  one  of  the  largest  forts ;  and  the 
Chinese  evidently  regarded  her  as  having  been  fairly  '  bagged,' 
giving  her  only  an  occasional  shot  by  way  of  testing  the 
accuracy  of  their  fire,  which  was  by  no  means  remarkable 
during  the  twelve  hours  I  watched  their  proceedings.  She 
had  been  left  to  her  fate  the  night  previous  on  account  of 
the  dreadful  havoc  made  among  her  crew,  and  the  impossi 
bility  of  bringing  her  guns  to  bear  ;  but  an  effort  was  made 


92  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OP 

the  night  afterwards  to  float  her  off  upon  the  flood  tide, 
which  would  doubtless  have  succeeded,  but  for  the  unfortu 
nate  misunderstanding  of  an  order  given  to  the  Engineer, 
who  started  the  engine  to  'back/  instead  of  'ahead.'  as 
directed ;  by  which  means  the  propeller  got  so  embedded  in 
the  mud  as  to  be  immovable.  But  the  vessel  had  changed 
her  position,  so  as  to  present  her  full  broadside  to  the  fort ; 
and  as  soon  as  it  was  discovered  that  she  could  not  be 
started,  it  became  necessary  to  blow  off  the  steam  which 
had  been  raised.  The  sound  of  the  escaping  steam  awaken 
ed  the  attention  of  the  unwary  gunners  in  the  fort,  and  they 
soon  sent  such  a  shower  of  shot  at  the  devoted  vessel,  that 
the  officers  and  men  who  had  undertaken  the  daring  at 
tempt  to  recover  her  from  the  enemy,  were  compelled  again 
to  abandon  the  unlucky  craft  to  the  inevitable  destruction 
which  now  awaited  her.  They  embarked  quietly  in  their 
boats  on  the  least  exposed  side  of  the  vessel ;  and,  all  start 
ing  together,  made  one  of  the  most  exciting  regattas  I  have 
ever  witnessed — shot  flying  around  them,  and  over  them, 
at  every  stroke  of  the  oars ;  often  drenching  the  crews  with 
the  muddy  spray  sent  up  by  plunging  into  the  water  near 
them,  and  yet  all  escaped  uninjured  to  their  vessels. 

"  The  Lee  and  Plover  were  locked  in  the  last  fond  embrace 
of  dying  love,  with  their  graceful  forms  resting  upon  the 
inhospitable  shore,  near  one  of  the  forts,  from  whence  the 
vengeful  foe  continued  to  project  destructive  missiles 
through  their  unresisting  frames.  The  Kestrel  sought  refuge 
at  the  bottom  of  the  turbid  stream  from  the  iron  hail-storm 
which  raged  above ;  but,  soon  becoming  dissatisfied  with 
the  change,  she  raised  herself  sufficiently  from  the  superin 
cumbent  element  to  glide  smoothly  and  quietly  down  the 
tide,  until  she  reached  a  point  where  her  astonished  and 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  93 

grateful  friends  could  with  safety  send  a  crew  on  board  to 
conduct  her  to  a  more  comfortable  position.  This  vessel 
was  sunk  early  in  the  action,  quite  near  to  the  second 
barrier,  and  during  the  day  I  remained  at  anchor  in  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  her  hull  was  totally  invisible  ;  but  in  the 
course  of  the  following  night,  she  was  raised  from  the 
bottom  by  some  unaccountable  cause,  and  drifting  down  near 
to  the  Nimrod,  a  crew  was  sent  on  board  from  that  vessel 
to  anchor  her  on  the  flats,  where  her  injuries  were  soon 
repaired.  I  leave  the  explanation  of  this  philosophical 
phenomenon  to  the  savans  of  the  country,  and  have  only 
to  request  a  due  acknowledgment  of  the  favor  conferred 
upon  them  by  furnishing  so  interesting  a  case  for  their 
deliberation  and  investigation. 

"The  allied  force  consisted  of  one  thousand  three  hun 
dred  and  fifty  men  (of  whom  only  about  sixty  were 
French);  and  the  loss  of  the  English  amounted  to  four 
hundred  and  fifty  killed  and  wounded,  twenty-nine  of  the 
number  being  officers;  the  French  had  four  killed  and 
twelve  wounded.  The  Admiral  and  the  three  senior  Captains 
were  all  seriously  injured,  one  of  the  latter  dying  shortly 
afterward  of  his  wounds. 

"  The  excitement  on  board  the  Powhatan  during  the  bom 
bardment  was  so  intense  that  the  tops  and  masts  were  lined 
with  eager  gazers,  and  as  I  had  been  directed  to  have  two 
hundred  men  prepared  to  land  at  a  moment's  notice,  I 
ordered  the  heavy  launches  to  be  got  ready  for  hoisting  out 
for  that  purpose.  The  work  was  performed  in  less  time 
than  it  ever  had  been  before,  though  it  proved  to  be  unne 
cessary." 

The  following  is  Flag-officer  Tattnall's  report  to  the  Secre- 


94  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   0$ 

tary  of  the  Navy.     Like  all  the  official  documents  submitted 
by  him,  it  is  a  model  of  its  kind : 

"  UNITED  STATES  STEAM  FRIGATE  POWHATAN, 

"FLAG  SHIP  EAST  INDIA  SQUADRON, 
"OFF  PEI-HO  EIVER,  July  4,  1859. 

"  SIR  :  The  last  dispatch  which  I  had  the  honor  to  send 
you  reported  this  ship,  in  company  with  the  chartered 
steamer  Toey-wan,  at  sea,  off  the  Yangtee,  on  her  way  to 
the  Pei-ho,  with  our  Minister  to  China, — Mr.  Ward, — and 
suite  on  board. 

"That  gentleman  has  reported  to  the  government  the  re 
sult  of  his  interviews  and  correspondence  with  the  Chinese 
Commissioners  at  Shanghai.  I  only  refer,  therefore,  to  that 
subject  as  far  as  necessary  to  your  understanding  the  cir 
cumstances  which  placed  us  in  a  very  unexpected  position 
on  our  arrival  at  the  Pei-ho  and  produced  as  unexpected 
results. 

"The  Chinese  Commissioners  were  those  with  whom  our 
late  Commissioner, — Mr.  Heed, — concluded  the  treaty  last 
year  at  Tientsin,  and  with  whom  he  subsequently  arranged 
the  tariff  at  Shanghai,  where  they  have  remained  ever  since. 

"In  the  interchange  of  visits  between  these  Commis 
sioners  and  Mr.  Ward,  the  latter  was  escorted  by  a  number 
of  the  officers  and  sixty  marines  of  our  squadron ;  this 
being  not  only  suited  to  the  dignity  of  Mr.  Ward,  but  in 
tended  as  a  compliment  to  the  Chinese  Commissioners,  to 
whom  Mr.  Ward  wished  to  extend  the  greatest  consideration. 

"Mr.  Ward  informed  them  that  he  was  on  his  way  to 
Peking  to  exchange  the  treaties,  which  it  was  obligatory 
on  both  parties  to  do  on  or  before  the  18th  of  June,  now 
near  at  hand. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  95 

"  They  replied  that,  having  signed  the  treaties,  they  must 
themselves  exchange  them ;  that  they  could  not  reach  Peking 
from  Shanghai  in  less  than  sixty  days ;  and  that  by  agree 
ment  with  Lord  Elgin,  the  late  British  Opposition,  they 
were  expected  to  remain  at  Shanghai  until  the  arrival  of 
the  present  British  Minister, — Mr.  Bruce. 

"  Mr.  Ward  then  offered  to  exchange  our  treaty  at  Shan 
ghai,  which  they  evaded  on  the  ground  that  the  treaty  was 
at  Peking,  and  they  proposed  to  Mr.  Ward  that  he  should 
remain  at  Shanghai  until  the  arrival  of  the  British  Minister. 

"  Mr.  Ward,  although  doubting  their  sincerity,  in  a  spirit 
of  consideration  and  forbearance  accepted  the  proposition, 
thus  waiving  the  specified  time  of  exchange. 

"The  British  Minister,  on  his  arrival  a  day  or  two  after, 
refused  to  hold  official  intercourse  with  the  Commissioners, 
on  the  ground  (as  I  understood  it)  that  Peking  was  the  place 
specified  in  the  British  treaty  for  the  exchange,  and  that 
he  was  on  his  way  there  for  that  purpose. 

"  Unsuccessful  in  their  endeavor  to  detain  the  British, 
and  to  re-open  the  negotiation  at  Shanghai,  the  Commis 
sioners  apparently  yielded,  and  dispatched  couriers  (who 
they  asserted  would  arrive  in  a  week)  to  Peking  to  prepare 
(as  they  said)  the  authorities  for  the  arrival  and  reception 
of  all  the  Ministers,  and  their  conveyance  to  Peking,  where 
the  treaties  would  be  exchanged  by  a  special  Commissioner 
on  the  25th  June,  the  day  specified  in  the  British  treaty. 

"The   Commissioners  notified  Mr.  Ward  of  this  arrange 
ment,  and   requested   him   to    accompany   the   British    and 
French  to  the  Pei-ho.     To  this  he  consented,   thereby  to 
a  certain  extent  assuming \he  same  platform  with  the  latter. 
"I  will  here  remark  that  the  sincerity  of  the   Commis 
sioners  was  much  doubted  at  the  time,  some  of  their  coun- 
14 


96  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

try  men  at  Shanghai  declaring  that  delay  was  their  object, 
as  they  were  fortifying  the  Pei-ho  very  strongly,  and  had 
placed  in  command  a  Mongul  Prince  of  high  military  repu 
tation,  who  was  known  to  be  very  hostile  to  the  '  treaties.' 

"  We  reached  the  anchorage  off  the  ,Pei-ho  on  the  21st  of 
June,  where  we  found  the  British  and  French  Ministers  and 
their  fleets. 

"  On  my  first  interview  with  the  British  Admiral, — James 
Hope, — I  learned  that  the  Ministers  (English  and  French) 
had  announced  to  the  authorities  on  shore  the  object  of 
their  visit,  and  that  they  should  proceed  by  the  river  to 
Tientsin,  on  their  way  to  Peking,  conformably  with  their 
'  treaties.' 

"The  Chinese  had  positively  refused  them  the  ascent  of 
the  river,  the  entrance  to  which  they  found  very  strongly 
fortified,  and  across  which  several  lines  of  barricades  had 
been  constructed. 

"The  Chinese  declared  that  this  river,  which  we  had  all 
navigated  as  the  Pei-ho  a  year  ago,  was  only  one  mouth  of 
the  Tientsin  river,  and  that  there  was  another  entrance  ten 
miles  to  the  north,  which  entrance  was  called  the  Pei-ho, 
and  was  the  point  referred  to  in  the  treaties. 

"  They  insisted  that  the  Ministers  should  remain  off  this 
northern  entrance  until  the  arrival  of  the  Commissioners 
from  Shanghai,  (which  could  not  be  short  of  two  months,) 
when  arrangements  would  be  made  to  convey  them  to 
Peking  by  this  route. 

"The  British  and  French  Ministers,  considering  this  an 
evasion  with  a  view  to  gaining  time  to  strengthen  their 
defenses,  had  referred  the  matter  to  their  respective  naval 
commanders,  who  notified  the  Chinese  that  if  the  obstruc 
tions  in  the  channel  of  the  river  were  not  removed  by  the 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  97 

25th  June,  the  day  for  the  exchange  of  treaties,  they  would 
themselves  proceed  to  remove  them. 

"I  will  here  remark  that  in  the  Chinese  charts  there  is 
a  small  river  emptying  into  the  sea  ten  miles  to  the  north 
of  this,  and  which,  diverging  gradually  from  the  course  of 
the  Pei-ho  as  you  ascend  it,  has  its  source  far  in  the  interior. 
Some  twenty  miles  from  its  mouth  it  is  connected  with  the 
river  we  know  as  the  Pei-ho  by  a  narrow  creek,  said  to  be  dry 
at  low,  and  having  but  five  feet  at  high  water. 

"After  due  deliberation  Mr.  Ward  and  I  decided  to  enter 
the  river  we  had  known  as  the  Pei-ho,  in  the  steamer  Toey- 
ivan  as  far  as  the  barricades,  as  though  ignorant  of  access 
having  been  refused  the  English  and  French.  If  the  forts 
should  fire  across  our  bows  to  bring  us  to  we  would  anchor 
and  communicate ;  if  into  us,  having  no  guns,  we  would 
retire  and  act  accordingly. 

"Twelve  British  and  one  French  steamer,  all  small,  had 
previously  concentrated  within  the  bar,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
river,  just  out  of  gun  shot  of  the  batteries. 

"  We  entered  the  river  in  execution  of  our  plan  at  11  A.  M. 
on  the  24th  ultimo,  and  passing  through  the  British  squad 
ron,  without  communicating,  pushed  up  towards  the  barriers. 

"At  this  time  not  a  man  was  to  be  seen  at  the 
forts  nor  a  gun  in  an  embrasure,  nor,  although  flag-staffs 
were  on  the  parapets,  was  a  flag  displayed.  There  was 
nothing  to  indicate  that  the  forts  were  armed  or  manned. 

"  Subsequently  events  show  this  to  have  been  a  deception 
and  ambuscade,  intended,  I  do  not  doubt,  (in  the  confidence 
of  their  own  strength  and  the  small  force  of  the  English,) 
to  invite  a  conflict  in  order  to  annul  the  treaties  of  last  year. 

"We  had  approached  to  within  three  hundred  yards  of 
the  first  barrier,  at  which  point,  should  we  not  be  fired  on, 


98  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

I  had  proposed  anchoring,  when  we  grounded,  and  failed 
in  all  our  efforts  to  back  off.  The  tide  was  falling  fast,  and 
our  situation  was  critical,  not  only  from  the  facility  with 
which  the  batteries  might  demolish  us,  but,  as  we  were  on 
the  edge  of  a  steep  bank,  from  the  probability  of  the  steamer 
falling  over  and  filling. 

"At  this  moment  I  received  from  Admiral  James  Hope 
an  attention  and  kindness  which  must  place  me  under 
lasting  obligations  to  him. 

"  Although  he  had  reason  to  think  that  she  would  be  fired 
upon  by  the  forts,  he  sent  a  gun-boat  to  my  aid,  with  the 
message  that  had  he  known  of  my  intention  to  pass  up  he 
would  have  furnished  me  a  pilot,  and  that  he  expected  to 
see  me  fired  on. 

"The  gun-boat  failed  in  her  efforts  to  extricate  me,  and 
there  being,  as  I  have  said,  a  probability  of  the  Toey-ivaris 
falling  over  and  filling,  the  Admiral  dispatched  a  second 
gun-boat  to  me,  placing  her  entirely  at  my  disposition,  with 
the  handsome  and  generous  offer  that  I  should  hoist  on 
board  of  her  the  American  ensign  and  my  own  personal 
flag. 

"I  declined  the  offer,  with  a  just  appreciation,  however, 
of  the  personal  kindness  to  myself  and  the  delicate  compli 
ment  to  our  service. 

"  The  Toey-wan  was  more  fortunate  than  I  expected,  and, 
a  favorable  wind  having  sprung  up,  we  got  her  off  at  high 
water. 

"About  two  hours  after  grounding  we  sent  a  boat  to  the 
nearest  fort,  with  my  Flag-lieutenant, — Mr.  Trenchard, — and 
the  interpreters,  to  inform  the  commanding  officer  that  the 
American  Minister  was  on  board  the  Toey-wan  on  his  way 
to  Tientsin  and  Peking,  in  accordance  with  our  treaty  and 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  99 

an  understanding  with  the  Chinese  Commissioners  at 
Shanghai. 

"They  were  met  at  the  landing  by  an  officer  professing 
to  be  of  low  rank,  who  said  that  his  orders  were  not  to 
permit  the  removal  of  the  barriers,  and  to  fire  on  those 
attempting  it ;  that  he  believed  that  a  high  officer  had  been 
appointed  to  meet  the  Ministers  at  the  north.  He  also 
asserted  most  falsely,  as  subsequently  shown,  that  there 
were  no  troops  and  only  a  few  country  militia  in  the  forts. 

"Although  the  interpreters  were  allowed  to  get  out  of  the 
boat  for  greater  facility  of  conversation,  they  were  not  per 
mitted  to  approach  the  forts. 

"The  Toey-wan  floated  late  in  the  evening,  when  I  ob 
served  that  the  British  were  arranging  themselves,  ap 
parently,  for  action.  I  therefore  dropped  down  to  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor,  and  below  them,  so  that  my  lights 
might  not  interfere  with  their  signals,  or  my  position  with 
their  operations.  . 

"The  British  in  the  night  removed  with  their  boats  a 
portion  of  the  lower  barrier,  but  the  Chinese  restored  it 
in  the  morning. 

"At  2:45  P.  M.  on  the  25th,  the  day  specified  for*  the  ex 
change  of  treaties,  the  British  stood  up  the  river  for  the 
barriers,  Admiral  Hope  leading  in  one  of  the  gun-boats. 

"This  whole  force  consisted  of  ten  gun-boats,  including 
one  French,  and  three  larger  steamers  of  a  class  denomi 
nated  dispatch  vessels,  carrying  in  all  about  fifty  guns. 
They  also  had  on  board  of  some  Chinese  junks,  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  a  reserve  of  boats  with  seamen  and 
marines. 

"On  the  Admiral's  reaching  the  first  barrier  the  forts 
suddenly  swarmed  with  men,  and  a  terrible  fire  from  very 


100  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

heavy  guns  was  opened  on  him  from  all  the  forts  on  both 
sides  of  the  river. 

"Two  of  his  vessels  at  this  moment  grounded  near  the 
spot  the  Toey-wan  had  grounded  the  day  before. 

"  The  British  and  French  fought  with  the  most  determined 
valor,  but  fifteen  minutes  sufficed  to  show  me  without  a  hope 
of  success. 

"The  fire  of  the  Chinese  was  directed  with  fatal  skill, 
and  was  chiefly  concentrated  on  the  Admiral  and  the  vessel 
nearest  to  him.  His  flag  vessel  being  disabled  and  her 
crew  cut  up,  he  shifted  his  flag  to  a  second,  and  on  her 
meeting  the  fate  of  the  first,  he  again  shifted  it  to  the 
Cormorant,  one  of  the  larger  (dispatch)  steamers.  Here 
again  the  fire  was  concentrated  on  the  flag  of  the  gallant 
Admiral. 

"By  this  time,  4  p.  M.,  several  of  his  vessels  had  been 
sunk,  and  it  was  evident  to  me  that  nothing  could  enable 
him  to  extricate  himself  and  retire  from  the  hopeless  con 
flict  but  the  reserve  of  boats  and  men  at  the  junks,  but 
at  the  time  the  tide  was  running  too  strong  for  the  crowded 
boats  to  stem. 

"  The  officer  in  charge  of  these  boats  now  visited  me.  He 
said  nothing  of  aid,  but  this  silent  appeal  was  powerful 
indeed.  In  the  few  moments  he  was  on  board  he  would 
look,  anxiously,  alternately  at  his  Admiral  and  at  the  boats. 

"After  he  left  I  held  a  consultation  with  Mr.  Ward,  and 
he  agreed  with  me  perfectly  that,  under  all  the  circum 
stances  of  our  position  with  the  English  and  the  aid  the 
Admiral  had  tendered  me  the  day  before,  I  could  do  no  less 
than  to  tow  the  boats  to  his  relief. 

"I  made  the  offer,  which  was  thankfully  and  promptly 
accepted. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  lOl 

"While  the  boats  were  making  fast  to  hawsers,  which  I 
veered  astern,  I  insisted  on  Mr.  Ward  and  his  suite  leaving 
the  Toey-wan  and  going  on  board  the  junks,  for  reasons 
that  will  be  obvious. 

"He  at  first  reluctantly  yielded,  and  left  us,  but  soon 
returned  in  one  of  the  English  boats,  declaring  that,  as  the 
Toey-ivan  was  his  home  and  was  going  under  fire  with  his 
approbation  and  concurrence,  he  would  remain  in  her.  I 
reluctantly  yielded  to  his  gallant  impulse. 

"At  this  time  a  young  British  officer  came  to  me  from 
the  vessels  engaged  to  say  that  the  gallant  Admiral  was 
dangerously  wounded,  and  had  but  six  men  left.  He  (the 
officer)  had  two  boats  sunk  in  reaching  me. 

"I  towed  the  boats  through  the  British  line  to  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  Admiral,  whose  flag  was  flying  on 
the  Cormorant,  when,  casting  them  off,  I  retired  to  the  rear 
of  the  line,  near  the  French  gun-boat,  and  anchored  for 
the  night. 

"  I  took  up  this  position,  as  it  might  enable  me  to  aid  the 
wounded,  and,  should  boats  be  sunk,  to  rescue  their  crews. 

"After  anchoring  I  thought  of  the  Admiral  and  of  his 
chivalrous  kindness  to  me  the  day  before,  which,  from  an 
unwillingness  to  intrude  on  him  when  he  was  preparing 
for  action,  I  had  in  no  way  acknowledged. 

"I,  therefore,  with  my  Flag-lieutenant, — Mr.  Trenchard,— 
went  in  my  barge  to  visit  him.  When  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  Cormorant  a  round  shot  struck  the  boat,  killed  my 
Coxswain,  and  slightly  bruised  my  Flag-lieutenant.  We 
fortunately  reached  the  Cormorant  before  the  boat  entirely 
filled. 

"I  found  the  Admiral  lying  on  his  quarter-deck  badly 
wounded.  I  informed  him  that  I  had  called  to  pay  my 


102  *HE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES  0# 

respects,  and  to  express  my  regret  at  his  condition.  After 
remaining  on  board  the  Cormorant  about  ten  minutes,  I 
took  advantage  of  an  English  boat  that  was  passing  to 
return  to  the  Toey-wan. 

"The  Cormorant  after  this  was  sunk,  and  the  Admiral 
shifted  his  flag  to  a  fourth  vessel, — the  Coromandel, — (a 
thing,  I  believe,  unprecedented),  thus  evincing  an  indomita 
ble  valor  under  very  disheartening  and  almost  hopeless 
circumstances. 

"At  dusk,  about  8  p.  M.,  a  desperate  attempt  was  made, 
by  landing  from  boats,  to  storm  the  forts,  but  they  stood 
in  an  impassible  morass,  and  the  assailants  were  repelled 
with  heavy  loss. 

"On  the  morning  following  this  day  and  night  of 
slaughter — the  action  still  continuing,  but  the  fire  more 
feeble  and  distant — I  found  that  six  of  the  English  vessels 
were  sunk,  and  that  the  remainder  had  withdrawn  to  a  more 
distant  and  safer  position,  from  which  they  could  easily 
retire  out  of  gunshot. 

"I  now  prepared  to  return  to  the  Powkatan  with  Mr. 
Ward,  but  first  called  on  board  the  Goromandel  to  take  leave 
of  the  Admiral,  and  also  on  board  the  French  gun-boat,  to 
inquire  after  the  French  Commodore, — Tricault, — whom  I 
had  met  on  board  the  Cormorant  when  I  called  on  the  Ad 
miral,  and  who  had  subsequently  been  wounded. 

"I  deferred  my  departure,  by  request,  that  I  might  tow  to 
their  ships  at  sea  two  launch  loads  of  the  wounded  English. 

"  On  reaching  the  Powhatan  I  again  dispatched  the  Toey- 
ivan  into  the  harbor,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant  Johnston, 
(first  of  the  Poivliatan),  with  orders  to  remain  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbor,  out  of  fire,  and  to  afford  all  aid 
consistent  with  our  neutrality.  After  an  efficient  perform- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  103 

ance    of    this  duty  for  twenty-four  hours   he   rejoined  me. 

"  The  sea  officers  with  me  in  the  Toey-wan  on  this  service 
were  Captain  Pearson,  Lieutenants  Treiichard  and  Semmes, 
all  of  the  Powhatan;  and  Midshipman  Merchant  of  the 
Germantown.  The  Engineer  officers  were  Messrs.  City  and 
Archer.  Captain  A.  S.  Taylor,  of  the  marine  corps,  was  also 
with  me.  I  have  to  thank  them  for  their  zealous  services. 

"  My  Coxswain, — John  Hart, — whose  death  I  have  to 
lament,  was  the  son  of  John  and  Mary  Hart,  now  living 
at  Jamaica,  Long  Island.  He  was  a  widower,  but  has  left  a 
young  daughter  eight  years  old. 

"I  shall  communicate  the  sad  event  to  his  parents,  and 
as  his  child  whom  he  supported  will  be  entitled  to  a  pension, 
may  I  beg  the  favor  of  you,  sir,  as  soon  as  the  proper 
papers  shall  be  filed  at  the  Department,  to  direct  that  the 
pension  be  issued  without  unnecessary  delay? 

"Hart  had  been  a  long  time  in  the  navy,  having  served 
under  me  fifteen  years  ago. 

"  The  English  retired  this  morning  from  the  river,  having 
recovered  and  brought  out  three  of  their  sunken  vessels  and 
destroyed  the  others. 

"Their  loss  is  about  four  hundred  and  fifty  killed  and 
wounded,  including  twelve  French.  Eight  officers  are  killed 
and  twenty-three  wounded ;  among  the  wounded  are  the 
four  senior  officers,  including  the  Admiral  and  the  French 
Commodore  Tricault. 

"They  attacked  with  about  twelve  hundred  men. 

"  I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL,  * 

"  Flag-officer  Commanding  East  India  Squadron. 
"  The  Hon.  Isaac  Toucey, 

"Secretary  of  the  Navy,  "Washington." 
15 


104  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

"  Gallant  Americans !"  exclaims  a  writer  in  Blackwood's 
Magazine,  uttering  the  dominant  sentiment  of  the  British 
nation,  "you  and  your  Admiral  did  more  that  day  to  bind 
England  and  the  United  States  together,  than  all  your 
lawyers  and  pettifogging  politicians  have  ever  done  to  part 
us." 

Flag-officer  Tattnall's  conduct  on  this  occasion  was  but 
the  spontaneous  expression  of  the  courageous,  generous 
impulses  which  at  all  times  pervaded  his  breast,  and  won 
for  him  not  only  the  gratitude  of  the  United  Kingdom,  but 
the  admiration  of  the  civilized  world.  His  laconic  excuse 
for  his  valorous  act, — " blood  is  thicker  than  water" — and  the 
apology  offered  by  his  boat's  crew  when  called  to  account 
for  practically  overstepping  the  limits  of  neutrals  while  on 
board  Admiral  Hope's  stricken  vessel, — "beg  pardon,  sir, 
they  were  shorthanded  at  the  bow-gun  and  so  we  giv'd  them 
a  help  for  fellowship  sake" — will  be  treasured  so  long  as 
brave  words  are  honored  and  golden  deeds  applauded. 

With  the  heroic  memories  of  this  affair,  the  name  of  the 
American  Minister  also  will  always  be  most  honorably 
associated. 

We  introduce  some  of  the  correspondence  relating  to  the 
action  of  Flag-officer  Tattnall  at  the  Pei-ho  river,  that  the 
reader  may  appreciate  how  cordially  it  was  approved  by  the 
Home  Government,  sincerely  recognized  by  the  English 
authorities,  and  gratefully  acknowledged  by  the  officers  of 
the  British  squadron  : 

"  COBOMANDEL,  OFF  THE  PEI-HO,  1st  July,  1859. 

"  SIB  :  I  have  the  honor  to  request  you  will  accept  my 
acknowledgment  of  the  services  which  you  found  it  con 
sistent  with  your  duty  to  permit  your  tender, — the  Toey- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  105 

ivan, — to  render  during  the  25th  ultimo,  and  especially  in 
conveyance  of  the  wounded  to  their  vessels  ;  and  I  beg  you 
will  accept  my  warmest  thanks  for  the  same. 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"J.  HorE, 

"  Bear- Admiral  and  Commander-in-Chief." 
"  Flag-officer  Tattnall,  U.  S.  Steam-frigate  Poivhatan" 


"U.  S.  STEAM-FRIGATE  POWHATAN, 
"  FLAG-SHIP  EAST  INDIA  SQUADRON, 

"OFF  PEI-HO  KIVER,  July  2d,  1859. 

"Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  communication  of  the  1st  instant,  referring  to  the 
slight  services  it  was  in  my  power  to  render  your  gallant 
squadron  on  the  25th  ultimo. 

"  It  reminds  me  that  I  have  not  yet  thanked  you  officially 
for  your  aid  in  extricating  the  Toey-wan  from  her  embar 
rassing  position  when  on  shore  near  the  batteries,  on  the 
24th,  and  for  your  very  kind  and  flattering  tender  of  the 
services  of  one  of  your  gun-boats,  with  the  privilege  of 
hoisting  on  board  of  her  the  American  ensign  and  my  own 
flag. 

"This  evidence  of  kindness  and  confidence  from  your 
service  to  ours  will  be  justly  appreciated  by  our  Govern 
ment,  to  whom  I  have  communicated  it. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 

"Flag-officer  Commanding  East  India  Squadron." 
"  Bear- Admiral  James  Hope,  Commander-in-Chief." 


106  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

"  H.  M.  SHIP  ASSISTANCE, 
"  GULF  OF  PECHEELEE,  1st  July,  1859. 

"  Sir :  Permit  me  to  offer  to  yourself  and  to  the  officers 
under  your  command,  the  most  sincere  thanks  of  myself 
and  officers  for  the  very  kind  manner  in  which  officers  and 
detachments  of  the  Royal  Marines  were  received  on  board 
the  Toey-tvan,  a  few  days  ago  ;  and  for  the  very  hospitable 
manner  in  which  they  were  entertained  while  there. 

"I  should  have  done  myself  the  honor  of  thanking  you 
personally  for  this  great  attention  and  kindness,  but  am 
unfortunately  prevented  from  so  doing  by  a  severe  wound 
in  the  head,  which  I  received  on  the  25th  ultimo. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc.,         W.  LEMON, 
"  Colonel  Commanding  Royal  Marines,  Expeditionary  Force." 
"Flag-officer  Tattnall,  United  States  Navy." 

"  WASHINGTON,  October  10th,  1859. 

"SiR:  Her  Majesty's  Minister  in  China  has  not  failed 
to  bear  testimony  to  the  friendly  feeling  of  the  United  States 
Envoy,  Mr.  Ward,  and  of  Flag-officer  Tattnall,  and  to  the 
assistance  which  they  rendered  during  the  late  operations 
at  the  Pei-ho  river. 

"Her  Majesty's  Principal  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign 
Affairs  has  instructed  me  to  express  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  and  to  you,  sir,  the  thanks  of  Her 
Majesty's  Government  for  the  assistance  thus  rendered  to 
Her  Majesty's  service  by  those  distinguished  officers,  and 
to  request  that  such  thanks  may  be  conveyed  to  them 
through  the  regular  official  channel. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be.  with  the  highest  consideration,  sir, 
"Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

"LYONS." 

"The  Honorable  Lewis  Cass,  etc.,  etc.,  etc. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  107 

"WASHINGTON,  October  17th,  1859. 

"  SIR  :  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  note  of  the  day  before  yesterday's  date,  informing  me 
that  in  compliance  with  my  request,  the  thanks  of  Her 
Majesty's  Government  will  be  conveyed  to  the  United  States 
Envoy  in  China, — Mr.  Ward,  and  to  Flag-officer  Tattnall,-— 
for  the  friendly  feeling  manifested,  and  the  assistance  given 
by  them  during  the  late  operations  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Pei-ho  river. 

"I  have  received  by  the  mail,  which  has  just  arrived  from 
London,  instructions  to  address  myself  again  to  your  kind 
ness,  and  to  request  you  to  convey  to  Flag-officer  Tattnall 
the  best  acknowledgments  of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the 
Admiralty,  for  his  courteous  and  valuable  assistance  on  the 
occasion  referred  to. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

"  With  the  highest  consideration,  sir, 
"  Your  most  obedient  humble  servant, 

"LYONS." 
"Honorable  Lewis  Cass,  Secretary  of  State,  etc.,  etc.,  etc." 


"WASHINGTON,  17th  October,  1859. 

"  MY  LORD  :  I  have  the  honor  to  state  that  General  Cass 
has  informed  me  that  the  United  States  Envoy  in  China,— 
Mr.  Ward,  and  Flag-officer  Tattnall, — will  each  be  furnished 
with  a  copy  of  my  note  of  the  10th  instant,  expressing  the 
thanks  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  for  the  assistance 
rendered  by  those  distinguished  officers  during  the  late 
operations  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pei-ho  river. 

"I  have  also  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  I  have  re 
quested  that  the  best  acknowledgments  of  the  Lords  Com- 


108  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

missioners  of  the  Admiralty  mav  be  conveyed  to  Flag-officer 
Tattnall,  for  his  courteous  and  valuable  assistance  on  the 
occasion  referred  to. 

"In  the  course  of  the  conversation  which  passed  during 
a  visit  which  I  paid  to  the  President  on  the  evening  of 
the  13th  instant,  he  observed  that  one  of  the  newspapers 
had  blamed  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Ward,  and  Flag-officer 
Tattnall,  at  the  Pei-ho,  as  an  improper  departure  from  their 
neutral  position,  but  that  he  was  sure  that  the  assistance 
rendered  by  them  to  Her  Majesty's  ships  had  met  with  the 
hearty  approbation  of  the  great  majority  of  the  people  of 
the  United  States. 

"I  have,  etc., 

"  LYONS." 
"To  Lord  John  Kussell,  etc.,  etc.,  etc." 


"  NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  October  22d,  1859. 
"SiR:  I  herewith  enclose  copies  of  two  notes,  dated  the 
10th  and  17th  instant,  addressed  to  the  Honorable  Lewis 
Cass,  Secretary  of  State,  by  Lord  Lyons,  the  British  Min 
ister  at  Washington,  expressing  the  thanks  of  Her  Ma 
jesty's  Government  and  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the 
Admiralty,  for  your  courteous  and  valuable  assistance  to 
Her  Majesty's  service  during  the  late  operations  at  the 
Pei-ho  river. 

"I  am  very  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"ISAAC  TOUCEY." 
"  Flag-officer  Josiah  Tattnall, 

"  Commanding  U.  S.  East  India  Squadron, 

"Hong  Kong,  China." 


COMMODORE   JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  109 

"U.  S.  STEAM  FRIGATE  POWHATAN, 
"HoNG  KONG,  CHINA,  28tli  December,  1859. 
"  SIR  :    I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your   letter   of    the   5th    of    October,   containing   the   very 
gratifying  intelligence  of  the  Department's  approval  of  my 
course  at  the  Pei-ho. 

"I  have  received  from  the  hands  of  the  British  Admiral 
a  copy  of  a  letter  from  Lord  Lyons,  relative  to  the  same 
affair,  of  which  I  inclose  a  copy. 

"  I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL, 
"  Flag-officer  on  return  from  command  of 

"East  India  Squadron." 
"Hon.  I.  Toucey,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 


"U.  S.  STEAM-FRIGATE  POWHATAN, 

"HoNG  KONG,  December  28th,  1859. 

"SiR :  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  communication  of  the  27th  inst.,  and  its  accompani 
ment,  the  copy  of  a  letter  from  Her  Britanic  Majesty's 
Minister  at  Washington  to  Her  Majesty's  Secretary  of  State 
for  Foreign  Affairs,  relative  to  the  part  taken  by  the 
American  Minister  and  mj  self  in  the  affair  of  the  Pei-ho. 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 

"Flag-officer,  etc." 
"  Hear- Admiral  J.  Hope, 

"  Commander-in  Chief  Her  Britanic  Majesty's 

"Naval  Forces  in  India  and  China." 


110  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

"CHESAPEAKE,  AT  HONG  KONG,  30th  December,  1859. 
"SiR:  Should  Flag-officer  Tattnall  be  desirous  of  pro 
ceeding  in  the  vessel  you  command  to  'Nagasaki,'  it  is  my 
direction  that  you  receive  him  and  his  suite  on  board  for 
that  purpose ;  and  you  will,  so  far  as  the  service  in  which 
you  are  engaged  permits,  suit  his  convenience  as  to  the  time 
of  proceeding  thither. 

"  Should   you  be  on  your  return   to   Shanghai,  you   will 
further  offer  the  Flag-officer  a  passage  to  that  port. 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  J.  HOPE, 

"  Bear-Admiral  and  Commander-in-Chief." 
"The  Commander  of  any  British  vessel-of-war  at  Yedo." 


CHAPTER  NINTH. 


Minister  Ward  proceeds  to  Peking.  Treaty  exchanged.  Return  to 
Shanghai.  The  American  Minister  visits  Japan  as  the  guest  of  Flag- 
officer  Tattnall.  Preparations  for  receiving  the  Japanese  Embassy  on 
board  the  PowJuitan.  The  command  of  the  squadron  transferred  to 
Flag-officer  Stribling.  Departure  for  Japan. 

On  the  8th  of  July  the  American  Minister  and  suite,  with 
the  Flag-officer,  were  conveyed  in  the  Toey-ivan  toward  the 
mouth  of  the  Pehtang  river.  As  the  steamer  approached 
the  shoal  water  she  was  met  by  a  pilot  who  conducted  her 
to  the  entrance  where  the  party  was  transferred  to  three 
large  junks, — handsomely  fitted  up  for  the  occasion, — which 
proceeded  to  the  landing.  Arrangements  having  been  made 
for  Mr.  Ward's  comfortable  conveyance  to  Peking,  under 
a  suitable  escort,  he  set  off  for  that  city  on  the  morning 
of  the  20th. 

The  following  persons  composed  the  Embassy : 

His  Excellency  John  E.  Ward,  Envoy  Extraordinary  and 
Minister  Plenipotentiary. 

Dr.  S.  Wells  Williams,  W.  Wallace  Ward,  Secretaries  to 
the  Legation. 

Rev.  W.  A.  P.  Martin,  Rev.  Wm.  Aitchison,  Assistant 
Interpreters. 

Lieutenant  S.  D.  Trenchard,  Flag-lieutenant. 

John  L.  Fox,  Surgeon,  (temporarily  attached  to  the  Poic- 
liatan.) 

B.  F.  Gallaher,  Purser. 

Lieutenant  A.  W.  Habersham. 

William  H.  Shock,  Chief  Engineer. 
16 


112  THE   LIFE  AND   SERVICES   Of 

A.  S.  Taylor,  Captain  of  Marines. 

Henry  Wood,  Chaplain. 

John  W.  Sandford,  Jr.,  Assistant  Surgeon. 

George  W.  Heard,  Esq.,  John  L.  Lurman,  Attaches. 

John  Allmand,  Secretary  to  Flag-officer  Tattnall. 

In  addition  to  these  officials,  three  marines  accompanied 
the  Embassy  as  orderlies  to  the  Minister,  and  ten  Chinese 
servants  were  taken  to  attend  upon  the  party ;  among  whom 
was  an  excellent  cook  whose  services  were  found  to  be 
essential  to  comfort. 

It  was  Flag-officer  Tattnall's  intention  to  have  accom 
panied  the  Minister.,  but  his  health  compelled  him  to  decline 
the  journey. 

With  the  details  of  this  visit  and  the  circumstances  at 
tendant  upon  the  exchange  of  the  treaty,  the  reader  is 
already  familiar. 

On  the  17th  of  August  the  Embassy  returned  in  the 
Toey-wan.  "  Her  arrival  was  hailed  by  Flag-officer  Tattnall 
and  his  officers  as  a  relief  from  the  monotony  of  their 
anchorage ;  and  on  the  evening  of  the  18th  the  Powliatan 
sailed  for  Shanghai  with  the  Toey-wan  in  tow."* 

Says  Lieutenant  Johnston,  executive  officer  of  the  Pow 
liatan  : 

"All  were  gratified  by  the  results  of  Mr.  Ward's  perse 
verance  in  effecting  the  exchange  of  the  treaty,  and  felt 
tint,  although  it  had  been  accomplished  at  some  little 
sacrifice  of  national  and  ministerial  pride,  the  evident 
anxiety  of  the  Mandarins  to  cultivate  friendly  relations  with 
him  after  the  catastrophe  at  Taku,  and  the  absence  of  any 
stipulation  in  the  treaty  of  Tientsin  requiring  the  exchange 
to  take  place  at  the  Capital,  constrained  him  to  accept  the 

*  Lieutenant  Johnston's  China  and  Japan,  p.  271.    Philadelphia,  1860. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  113 

Emperor's  proposal  to  perform  that  ceremony  at  Pelitang. 
The  beneficial  operation  of  the  treaty  was  soon  felt  upon 
American  commerce,  and  the  English  lost  no  time  in  de 
manding  the  extension  of  all  its  privileges  and  immunities 
to  theirs,  under  the  '  most  favored  nation'  clause  of  former 
treaties." 

The  anchorage  near  Woosung  was  reached  at  meridian 
on  the  22d  of  August  and  the  Minister  and  his  suite,  with 
the  Flag-officer,  went  immediately  to  Shanghai  in  the  Toey- 
wan;  the  former  "  receiving  a  parting  salute  of  seventeen 
guns,  as  his  official  connection  with  the  Powhatan  terminated 
with  the  return  of  the  Embassy  from  Peking." 

"By  the  mail  steamer  which  reached  Shanghai  on  the 
15th  of  September,  Flag-officer  Tattnall  received  informa 
tion  from  the  Navy  Department  that  the  steamer  Hartford 
had  sailed  from  the  United  States  for  Hong  Kong  with 
Flag-officer  C.  K.  Stribling  on  board,  appointed  to  relieve 
him  in  the  command  of  the  East  India  squadron  ;  but  the 
same  mail  brought,  also,  a  communication  authorizing  him 
to  return  to  the  United  States  via  Cape  Horn,  touching 
at  Yedo,  for  the  purpose  of  affording  a  passage  to  the 
Japanese  Embassy  as  far  as  Panama  on  their  route  to  this 
country.  Although  there  was  nothing  in  this  document 
which  could  be  construed  into  an  order  to  return  by  the 
route  indicated,  or  to  detain  the  ship  on  the  station  until 
the  time  appointed  for  the  embarkation  of  the  Embassy 
(the  22d  of  February,  1860),  Flag-officer  Tattnall  did  not 
hesitate  to  assume  the  responsibility  of  adopting  this  course, 
or  of  incurring  the  expenses  attending  the  accommodation 
of  so  large  an  accession  to  the  number  of  persons  on  board 
the  ship.  As  there  was  some  uncertainty,  however,  as  to 
whether  the  Japanese  Government  would  not  finally  con- 


114  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

elude  to  defer  sending  an  Embassy  to  the  United  States 
some  months  longer,  and  the  Flag-officer  desired  to  com 
municate  with  our  Minister  at  Yedo  on  the  subject  as  early 
as  practicable,  the  ship  was  prepared  for  sea  with  all  dis 
patch. 

"As  Mr.  Ward  was  enjoying  a  brief  respite  from  the 
duties  of  his  official  position,  he  determined  to  embrace  the 
opportunity  offered  him  through  the  kind  invitation  of  the 
Flag-officer,  to  catch  a  hasty  glimpse  of  the  beautiful  country 
and  the  interesting  people  of  whom  he  had  heard  such 
glowing  accounts  .from  the  officers  of  the  ship.  With  this 
pleasing  prospect  in  view,  he  came  on  board,  attended  by 
his  suite,  on  the  17th,  and  the  next  morning  the  Poivhatan 
got  under  way  to  make  her  fourth  visit  to  the  glorious  har 
bor  of  Nagasaki." 

The  passage  across  the  confluent  waters  of  the  Yellow 
and  Japan  seas  to  the  picturesque  Island  of  Kin-Sin  was 
accomplished  in  three  days.  All  being  eager  to  reach  the 
imperial  city  of  Yedo,  the  Poivhatan  remained  at  anchor 
only  one  day  at  Nagasaki.  In  prosecuting  her  voyage,  how 
ever,  she  encountered  some  derangement  in  her  machinery 
which  necessitated  a  return  to  this  port  and  entailed  a  delay 
of  several  days.  This  interval  was  improved  by  going 
ashore  and  "  seeing  the  lions  of  the  place."  There  Mr. 
Ward  purchased  a  Japanese  suit  of  armor  which  he  pre 
sented  to  Flag-officer  Tattnall.  The  Commodore  declining 
the  handsome  gift,  the  Minister  subsequently  donated  it  to 
the  Georgia  Historical  Society  in  Savannah,  where  it  may 
still  be  seen. 

Yokuhama  was  reached  on  the  3d  of  October,  and  soon 
after  the  Powhatan  proceeded  to  the  anchorage  off  the  city 
of  Yedo. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  115 

Here  it  was  ascertained  that  the  Japanese  Embassy  would 
certainly  be  ready  to  embark  for  the  United  States  on  the 
1st  of  February,  1860.  The  object  of  the  visit  being  accom 
plished,  and  the  American  Minister  having  a  diplomatic 
engagement  which  would  admit  of  no  further  delay,  the 
Commodore  sailed  for  Shanghai  on  the  morning  of  the  12th, 
and,  after  a  pleasant  passage,  reached  his  old  anchorage 
off  Woosung,  on  the  17th. 

At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  24th  the  Powhatan 
was  again  under  way  for  Kanagawa.  At  Yedo  information 
reached  the  Flag-officer  that  the  Embassy  would  consist 
of  nineteen  officers  and  fifty-two  attendants.  It  was  ne 
cessary  to  return  to  Hong  Kong  to  make  final  preparations 
for  receiving  the  Embassy  on  board,  and  that  harbor  was 
reached  on  the  20th  of  November.  There  the  command 
of  the  squadron  was  transferred  to  Flag-officer  Stribling, 
who  had  arrived  in  the  United  States  steam-sloop  Hartford. 

All  necessary  arrangements  having  been  made  for  the 
comfortable  conveyance  of  the  Embassy,  "on  the  30th  of 
December,"  says  Lieutenant  Johnston, — to  whose  interesting 
work  we  are  largely  indebted  for  memoranda  illustrative  of 
Commodore  Tattnall's  movements  during  the  period  of  his 
command  on  this  station, — "the  Flag-officer  entertained  at 
dinner  on  board,  all  the  principal  American  merchants  of 
the  city,  accompanied  by  General  Keenan,  United  States 
Consul,  and  the  occasion  was  marked  with  the  most  cordial 
and  heartfelt  expressions  of  reciprocal  respect. 

"The  next  morning  we  got  under  way,  and  making  a 
graceful  turn  outside  of  the  shipping  at  anchor  in  the  bay, 
passed  to  the  eastward  between  the  English  frigates  Chesa 
peake  and  Cambrian,  near  which  were  anchored  several 
smaller  vessels  of  the  squadron  under  Admiral  Hope's  com- 


116  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

mand.  At  the  moment  that  our  ship  was  abreast  of  the 
two  frigates,  the  crews  of  all  these  vessels  rushed  aloft 
simultaneously,  and  gave  three  hearty  cheers  as  a  parting 
salutation, — a  compliment  which  I  doubt  any  American 
man-of-war  ever  received  before  from  a  foreign  squadron. 
The  cheers  were  answered  immediately,  and  as  we  passed 
ahead  of  the  Admiral's  ship,  we  fired  a  salute  of  thirteen 
guns,  with  the  English  flag  at  the  fore,  in  return  for  the 
courtesy  extended  by  his  orders.  The  Chesapeake  answered 
the  salute,  and  we  steamed,  gallantly  out  to  sea  through  the 
Lymoon  passage,  bidding  a  final  farewell  to  Hong  Kong 
and  to  China." 


CHAPTEB  TENTH. 


Arrival  at  Yokuhama.  The  Japanese  Embassadors  received  on  board 
the  Powliatan.  Departure  for  the  United  States.  Touches  at  Honolulu. 
Complimentary  letter  from  the  British  residents.  The  Powhatan  at 
San  Francisco.  Flag-officer  Tattnall  proceeds  to  Washington.  Wel 
come  and  congratulations  there  extended.  Assigned  to  the  command 
of  the  Lake  Station,  with  his  headquarters  at  Sackett's  Harbor. 

Yokuhama  bay  was  reached  on  the  llth  of  January,  1860, 
after  a  boisterous  and  disagreeable  passage. 

It  being  ascertained  that  the  rooms  built  on  deck  were 
insufficient  for  the  suitable  accommodation  of  the  members 
of  the  Embassy,  the  ship's  carpenters  were  set  to  work  to 
prepare  two  additional  staterooms.  On  the  16th  the  Em 
bassadors  came  on  board  to  pay  their  respects  to  Flag- 
officer  Tattnall,  and  inspect  the  ship  which  was  to  convey 
them  to  the  United  States.  They  were  received  with  a 
salute  of  seventeen  guns,  and  "  expressed  themselves  highly 
gratified  by  the  attentions  shown  them,  and  the  appear 
ance  of  everything  on  board." 

The  Flag-officer  was  informed  that  their  preparations  for 
embarcation  would  all  be  complete  on  the  9th  of  February. 

"  Punctual  to  the  hour  appointed,"  says  Lieutenant  John 
ston,  "  the  Embassadors,  with  their  numerous  retinue,  were 
seen  coming  alongside  of  the  ship  with  a  fleet  of  thirty 
boats,  at  3  p.  M.,  on  the  9th,  and  arrangements  were  imme 
diately  made  for  their  reception,  with  all  the  marks  of  naval 
etiquette  due  to  their  elevated  rank.  The  Japanese  flag 
was  run  up  at  the  fore,  and  the  men  called  to  their  stations 
for  saluting,  the  officers  paraded  on  the  starboard  side  of 


118  THE  LIFE  AND   SEEYICES  OF 

the  quarter-deck  in  uniform,  the  marine  guard  on  the  oppo 
site  side,  and  the  boatswain  with  his  pipe  and  six  'side 
boys,'  standing  by  to  pipe  them  over  the  side,  while  the 
band  was  in  readiness  to  strike  up  our  own  national  air 
in  honor  of  the  occasion,  the  Japanese  anthem  not  having 
been  composed  as  yet.  The  Embassadors  were  received 
at  the  gangway  by  the  Flag-officer,  and  escorted  to  the 
poop-deck,  on  reaching  which  the  salute  of  seventeen  guns 
was  thundered  forth  from  our  heavy  battery,  to  their  infinite 
surprise  and  satisfaction. 

"Immediately  after  the  ceremonies  of  the  reception  were 
concluded,  the  usual  quiet  and  systematic  routine  of  duties 
progressed  in  their  ordinary  channels,  and  desiring  to  make 
an  early  acquaintance  with  the  relative  rank  and  individual 
appellations  of  the  large  accession  to  the  number,  for  whose 
suitable  accommodation  it  devolved  upon  me  to  assign  quar 
ters,  I  hastened  to  procure  from  the  principal  interpreter 
a  correct  list  of  the  persons  composing  the  Embassy,  which 
is  here  subjoined : 

"Embassador  No.  1, — Simme-Boozen-no-kami. 

"  Embassador  No.  12, — Muragaki-Awadsi-no-kami. 

"  Chief  Censor  (or  Spy), — Ogure-Bungo-no-kami. 

"  Officers  of  1st  rank  belonging  to  Embassadors, — Naruse 
Gensiro,  Tsucahara  Jugoro. 

"  Officers  of  1st  rank  belonging  to  Censor, — Hetaka  Keisa- 
buro,  Osakabe  Tetstaro. 

"Under  officers  belonging  to  the  Embassadors, — Matsmoto 
Sannojio,  Yosida  Sagos aimon. 

"Under  officers  belonging  to  the  Treasurer, — Masudu  Sun- 
juro?  Tuge  Hosingoro. 

"  Under  officers  belonging  to  the  Censor, — Kurisima  Hico- 
hatsiro,  Lewo-sawa-Scojero. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  119 

"Interpreters, — Narnoora  Gohatsiro,  Tateise  Tokujuro, 
Tateise  Onogero. 

"  Doctors, — Meodake,  Moriyama,  Cowasaki. 

"  This  list  comprises  the  number  of  officials  of  all  grades 
who  came  on  board,  to  which  must  be  added  fifty-two  at 
tendants  with  various  distinct  vocations — such  as  barbers, 
pike-bearers,  armorers,  and  servants,  making  a  total  of 
seventy-one  persons. 

"The  boats  containing  the  baggage,  amounting  in  all  to 
more  than  fifty  tons,  were  permitted  to  come  alongside  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  salute,  and,  in  a  brief  space  of  time, 
the  endless  variety  of  packages,  consisting  of  chests,  boxes, 
bales,  tubs,  bundles,  buckets,  bowls,  cooking  utensils,  etc., 
etc.,  was  transferred  to  our  decks,  and  distributed  so  rapidly 
by  the  intelligent  attendants,  with  slight  assistance  from 
the  crew,  that  some  little  wonder  was  excited  as  to  what 
disposition  had  been  made  of  them.  The  interpreters  were 
instructed  concerning  the  designation  of  the  various  apart 
ments  appropriated  to  the  Embassy ;  and  in  the  course  of 
an  hour  these  seventy-one  strangers,  but  few  of  whom  had 
ever  before  been  on  the  deck  of  any  vessel  larger  than  one 
of  their  native  junks,  were  as  quietly  and  comfortably  quar 
tered  as  if  they  had  spent  their  lives  in  a  man-of-war. 

"  As  soon  as  the  boats  were  discharged  of  their  contents, 
the  ship  was  got  under  way  for  Kanagawa,  and  reached 
the  anchorage  near  that  town  at  about  7  P.  M." 

Just  as  the  Powhatan  was  on  the  point  of  proceeding  to 
sea,  it  became  necessary  for  the  Flag-officer  to  institute  an 
official  investigation  into  some  allegations  of  partiality  on 
the  part  of  the  Custom  House  officials  at  Yokuhama,  by 
which  they  were  charged  with  dispensing  an  undue  amount 

of  itzibus  to  the  officers  of  the  PowJiatan.     As  the  honor 
17 


120  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   Otf 

of  his  officers  was  involved,  the  Commodore  caused  a  rigor 
ous  examination  to  be  made,  which  demonstrated  the  falsity 
of  the  charge,  and  completely  refuted  certain  invidious  as 
persions  which  the  English  Consul  General  had  attempted 
to  cast  upon  both  the  Japanese  and  American  officers. 

Any  necessity  for  further  delay  being  removed,  on  the 
morning  of  the  13th  of  February,  1860,  the  Powliatan  got 
under  way  with  the  Japanese  imperial  ensign  flying  at  the 
fore,  and,  passing  the  town  of  Uraga,  "steamed  quietly 
round  Cape  Sirofama  into  the  rolling  swell  of  the  broad 
Pacific." 

It  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  that  Empire  that 
Embassadors  had  ever  been  sent  to  a  foreign  government. 
The  Japanese  were  unskilled  in  navigation,  and  were  com 
pelled  to  trust  to  a  foreign  vessel  the  transportation  of  their 
diplomatic  representatives.  Having  materially  assisted  in 
consummating  the  treaty,  Flag-officer  Tattnall, — looking  to 
the  early  establishment  of  commercial  and  friendly  relations 
between  the  two  governments, — was  most  solicitous,  during 
the  voyage,  to  extend  to  the  Embassadors  every  courtesy, 
and  impress  them  with  favorable  views  of  the  United  States. 
His  hospitalities  were  most  marked,  decorous,  and  profuse, 
and  were  productive  of  the  happiest  influences. 

Touching  at  Honolulu,  Flag-officer  Tattnall  and  his  guests 
were  the  recipients  of  the  most  distinguished  marks  of  con 
sideration  and  kindness  from  the  officials  and  prominent 
citizens  of  the  place,  and  also  from  the  King  himself. 

The  day  previous  to  his  departure,  he  was  presented  with 
the  following  letter  signed  by  the  British  residents  at  Hono 
lulu,  who,  in  consequence  of  the  shortness  of  his  visit,  were 
prevented  from  carrying  into  effect  their  intention  of  ten 
dering  to  him  a  public  demonstration : 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  121 

"HONOLULU,  March  17,  1860. 
"  To  the  Honorable  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 

"  Flag-officer  Commanding  U.  S.  East  India  Squadron  : 

"Sin:  We,  the  undersigned,  British  residents  of  the 
Hawaiian  Islands,  beg  leave  to  express  to  you,  and  to  the 
Captain  and  officers  of  the  United  States  frigate  Powliatan, 
our  deep  regret  that  your  departure  from  Honolulu  at  an 
earlier  day  than  we  were  led  to  expect,  deprives  us  of  the 
honor  and  pleasure  of  offering  to  you  a  more  public  and 
fitting  manifestation  of  the  feelings  of  gratitude  and  admira 
tion  with  which  we  regard  your  gallant  and  humane  conduct 
towards  our  countrymen  on  the  occasion  of  the  late  unfortu 
nate  affair  at  the  Pei-ho  river. 

"  United  as  our  respective  countries  are  in  blood,  civiliza 
tion,  and  commerce,  we  cannot  undervalue,  and  do  fully  ap 
preciate  such  instances  of  the  brotherhood  of  the  two  nations, 
as  were  so  nobly  exemplified  by  you,  and  the  officers  and 
men  under  your  command,  on  the  occasion  above  referred  to. 

"The  truly  brave  are  ever  generous  and  humane,  and 
such  instances  of  bravery  and  kindness  tend  more  than  in 
terest  or  diplomacy  to  awaken  the  liveliest  sympathy,  and 
stir  the  heart  of  a  great  and  kindred  people  with  the  noblest 
emotions. 

"  In  conclusion  we  pray  that  your  life  may  be  long  spared 
to  the  credit  and  honor  of  your  country,  and  that  you  may 
reap  that  reward  so  justly  due  to  one  who  has  so  signally 
and  gallantly  proved  that  'blood  is  thicker  than  water.' 

"  With  the  highest  consideration  and  esteem,  we  are,  sir, 
"Your  obedient  servants, 

"(Signed  by  the  British  residents." 

We  quote  again  from  Lieutenant  Johnston's  narrative  : 

"On  the  18th  we  bade  adieu  to  the  many  pleasing  ac- 


122  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

quaintances  and  friends,  who  had  made  our  stay  in  their 
midst  one  continued  ovation  in  honor  of  the  country  and 
the  service  to  which  we  belonged,  and  received  us  with  an 
open-handed  hospitality  which  made  it  difficult  to  realize 
that  we  were  in  a  foreign  land.  Steaming  out  of  the  harbor 
late  in  the  afternoon,  the  course  was  set  again  for  the 
'  Golden  Gate'  of  San  Francisco,  and  as  the  weather  proved 
unusually  mild  and  pleasant,  the  passage  to  that  long-sought 
haven  was  accomplished  in  the  short  space  of  ten  and  a  half 
days,  anchoring  off  the  city  on  the  morning  of  the  29th, 
with  the  Japanese  flag  at  the  fore,  to  indicate  the  presence 
of  the  Embassy  on  board.  The  revenue  cutter  Jefferson 
Davis,  at  anchor  in  the  harbor,  announced  the  distinguished 
arrival  by  a  salute  of  seventeen  guns,  which  was  duly  re 
turned  by  the  Poivhatan,  the  report  of  whose  guns  soon 
called  a  tremendous  crowd  of  anxious  gazers  to  the  wharves, 
and  a  number  of  visitors  on  board,  to  behold  the  represen 
tatives  of  the  populous  and  wealthy  empire  which  seemed 
suddenly  to  have  sprung  into  existence,  and  had  sent  them 
with  a  friendly  greeting  to  the  Eureka  of  the  West. 

"The  freedom  of  the  city  was  extended  to  the  entire 
Embassy,  and  also  to  the  officers  of  the  Poivhatan,  none 
of  them  being  allowed  to  pay  their  own  hotel  bills  or  car 
riage  hire  during  their  stay  in  the  place,  and  the  inhabitants 
generally  evincing  a  friendly  interest  in  every  one  connected 
with  the  ship  or  the  Embassy." 

Deeming  it  proper  and  expedient  to  precede  the  Embassy, 
Commodore  Tattnall  took  passage  in  the  mail  steamer  of 
the  5th  of  April,  and,  in  due  course,  arrived  in  New  York. 
Thence  he  proceeded  to  Washington  to  report,  and  to  sug 
gest  such  arrangements  as  appeared  suitable  for  the  re 
ception  of  the  Japanese  Embassadors.  He  was  welcomed 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  123 

at  the  Department  and  in  the  Capital  with  every  consid 
eration,  and  was  on  every  hand  the  recipient  of  the  most 
cordial  congratulations  upon  the  services  he  had  performed 
and  the  honors  he  had  gained  for  himself  and  country. 

As  indicating  the  tone  of  the  press,  we  clip  the  following 
from  one  of  the  prominent  journals  of  the  day : 

"  Commodore  Tattnall,  recently  in  command  of  the  East 
India  squadron,  and  who  has  just  returned  home  in  the 
Powhatan,  via  San  Francisco  (having  left  that  vessel  there 
with  the  Japanese  Embassy),  has  been  the  recipient  of  dis 
tinguished  honors  since  his  arrival  in  Washington. 

"  On  Tuesday  last  he  was  received  at  the  Navy  Yard  with 
military  honors,  and  hospitably  entertained  by  Commodore 
Buchanan  in  the  midst  of  a  brilliant  assemblage  of  ladies 
and  naval  officers.  On  Wesnesday  he  was  cordially  received 
and  entertained  by  his  Excellency  the  British  Minister ;  and 
on  Thursday,  we  understand,  he  partook,  by  special  invita 
tion,  of  the  elegant  hospitalities  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States. 

"  These  high  marks  of  respect  were  richly  merited  by  the 
veteran  officer  who  behaved  so  gallantly  in  the  sanguinary 
battle  on  the  Pei-ho  between  the  British  and  French  forces 
on  the  one  side,  and  on  the  other  the  infuriated  myriads 
of  Chinamen,  who  hurled  their  missiles  of  death  and  de 
struction  from  behind  'invulnerable  ramparts  of  mud'  upon 
the  sinking  or  disabled  vessels  of  Admiral  Hope.  His 
humane  and  heroic  conduct  on  that  memorable  occasion 
entitles  him  to  the  gratitude  of  civilized  mankind." 

Flag-officer  Tattnall  was  present,  on  the  17th  of  May, 
when  the  Japanese  Embassadors  were  presented  to  the 
President  and  pledges  of  amity  between  the  two  countries 
were  exchanged. 


124  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

Three  days  afterwards,  he  was  assigned  to  the  command 
of  the  Lake  Station,  with  his  headquarters  at  Sackett's 
Harbor.  This  was  most  pleasing  to  him,  for  here  had  he 
many  friends,  and  here  could  he  enjoy  comparative  freedom 
from  care  and  labor.  He  was  sadly  in  need  of  rest  and 
physical  recuperation. 


CHAPTER  ELEVENTH. 


Secession  of  the  State  of  Georgia.  Captain  Tattnall's  views  on  the 
question  of  Secession.  The  devotion  of  a  naval  officer  to  his  flag. 
Trying  situation.  Resolves  to  respond  to  the  call  of  his  native  State. 
Resigns  his  commission  in  the  United  States  Navy.  Letter  of  accept 
ance.  Proceeds  to  Montgomery,  Alabama.  Letter  to  Governor  Brown 
tendering  his  sword  to  Georgia.  Commissioned  Senior  Flag-officer  in 
the  Navy  of  Georgia.  Letters  of  Governor  Brown  and  Adjutant-Gen 
eral  Wayne.  Commissioned  a  Captain  in  the  Confederate  States  navy. 
Assigned  to  the  naval  defense  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 

It  was  while  he  was  in  command  at  Sackett's  Harbor  that 
the  political  disagreement,  which  had  long  been  pending, 
culminated  in  the  secession  of  the  Southern  States.  Com 
modore  Tattnall  was  an  ardent  lover  of  the  American  Union 
as  contemplated  in  and  guarded  by  the  provisions  of  the 
Constitution.  With  the  principles,  objects,  and  aims  of  that 
Constitution  as  framed  by  the  fathers  of  the  instrument, 
and  as  expounded  by  the  great  and  good  men  of  the  nation, 
he  was  entirely  familiar.  The  equality  of  the  States  and 
the  rights  of  person  and  property  as  guaranteed  by  funda 
mental  law,  he  fully  appreciated.  For  nearly  fifty  years 
had  he  followed  the  flag  of  his  country  in  sunshine  and  in 
storm.  In  his  eyes  it  was  the  symbol  of  all  that  was  pa 
triotic,  noble,  and  of  high  repute.  Its  honor  he  had  ever 
vindicated.  To  its  service  the  devotion  of  a  life  had  been 
paid.  Among  its  supporters  were  his  most  intimate  friends 
and  chosen  companions,  whose  society  was  a  sweet  solace  to 
his  declining  years.  The  allegiance  of  a  naval  officer  to 
the  flag  of  his  country  is  more  absolute  than  that  of  soldier 


126  THE  LITE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

or  civilian.  In  the  very  nature  of  the  case  that  symbol  of 
nationality,  borne  aloft  upon  the  high  seas  and  receiving 
tributes  of  respect  wherever  displayed  in  distant  ports, 
comes  to  be  regarded  as  the  ever  present  proof  of  a  people's 
entity,  as  the  blazon  of  that  people's  honor  and  power. 
To  bear  it  nobly,  and, — away  from  government  and  offi 
cials, — under  sudden  and  trying  circumstances,  to  maintain 
its  dignity  unsullied,  is  the  pride  of  the  true  sailor.  To 
extend  its  protection  and  relief  in  lonely  places,  is  his 
frequent  duty.  To  uphold  it  manfully  in  the  face  of  oppo 
sition  is  his  special  trust.  Bound  up  in  that  flag  are  his 
highest  and  holiest  hopes.  It  gladdens  his  eye  in  the  sun 
shine  of  peace,  and  covers  his  head  in  the  day  of  battle. 
He  rejoices  in  the  deep-toned  thunders  which  salute  its 
presence,  and  glories  in  the  grand  defiance  which  leaps  from 
under  its  folds.  His  world  lies  within  its  shadow.  Its  ser 
vice  is  his  reward,  and  by  this  token  are  his  companionships 
confirmed. 

To  leave  the  service  of  the  United  States  navy  with  all 
its  honors  upon  him,  with  chosen  friends  about  him, — to 
withdraw  his  allegiance  from  a  flag  which  he  had  upheld 
so  long  and  so  bravely, — to  throw  up  a  commission  won  by 
nearly  a  half  century  of  valor  and  devotion,  whose  emolu 
ments  were  essential  to  the  comfort  and  maintenance  of 
wife  and  daughters, — to  espouse  the  cause  of  the  weak 
and  the  oppressed  at  the  expense  of  friend  and  government, 
and  flag  and  position,  involved  the  exercise  of  manhood, 
self-negation,  and  adherence  to  principle  most  wonderful. 
In  one  sense  Commodore  Tattnall  had  everything  to  lose 
and  nothing  to  gain. 

His  native  State,  Georgia,  had  seceded  from  the  Federal 
Union  for  cause  which  her  people  deemed  just  and  sufficient. 


COMMODOEE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  127 

She  called  upon  her  sons  everywhere  to  rally  to  her  stan 
dard,  for  the  air  was  filled  with  threats  of  violence  and 
coercion.  His  action,  under  the  circumstances,  was  just 
what  might  have  been  expected  from  one  of  his  exalted 
manhood  and  knightly  honor.  The  traditions  of  his  native 
State  to  whom  his  supreme  allegiance  was  due,  his  Southern 
blood,  and  his  personal  qualities  of  courage  and  chivalry 
inclining  him  always  to  sympathy  with  the  feeble  and  the 
wronged,  all  drew  him  with  a  pathos,  which  his  great  heart 
sought  not  to  withstand,  to  the  immediate  service  of  Geor 
gia.  Regarding  not  his  advanced  years,  laying  aside  the 
allurements  of  present  position,  with  its  honors  and  emolu 
ments  so  essential  to  his  own  comfort  and  the  support  of 
those  who  were  dependent  upon  him,  and  spurning  all 
considerations  of  a  personal  and  selfish  character,  he  with 
out  hesitancy  determined  to  obey  the  call  and  follow  the 
fortunes  of  his  native  State.  He  paused  not  to  criticize 
her  action.  As  a  loyal  son,  at  the  expense  of  everything, 
he  resolved  to  come  to  her  rescue.  He  did  what  General 
Robert  E.  Lee  did  under  similar  circumstances ;  and  even 
the  most  malevolent  cannot  find  it  in  his  conscience  to 
gainsay  the  heroism  and  the  genuine  patriotism  of  the  act. 
The  question  was  one  not  of  expediency,  but  of  duty ;  not 
of  casuistry,  but  of  self  sacrifice  and  loyalty  to  State  and 
people.  In  Georgia  he  held  no  property,  and  therefore 
there  entered  into  his  brave  soul  no  sordid  fear  of  confisca 
tion.  South  of  the  Potomac  there  was  nothing  which 
specially  claimed  protection  at  his  hands  save  his  State 
and  her  people.  In  the  rectitude  of  her  position,  when 
assumed,  he  confided.  To  her  supremacy  he  yielded.  It 
would  be  idle  to  deny  that  this  resolution  to  se^er  his  con 
nection  with  the  navy  of  the  United  States  was  formed 
18 


128  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

without  pain  and  regret.  Most  keenly  did  lie  deplore  the 
necessity,  and  yet  most  heroically  did  he  respond  to  the 
emergency.  Had  his  course,  under  these  trying  circum 
stances,  been  other  than  it  was,  it  would  have  stultified 
our  conception  of  his  exalted  character.  In  the  expediency 
and  policy  of  secession  we  believe  Commodore  Tattnall 
did  not  sympathize.  From  the  first  he  was  of  opinion  that 
war, — gigantic  war, — would  be  born  of  the  act,  with  all  the 
chances  of  ultimate  success  in  favor  of  the  Northern  States 
with  their  vast  preponderance  of  wealth  and  men  and  muni 
tions.  To  a  naval  officer  of  rank  and  experience  the  pros 
pect  of  command  in  the  Confederacy, — entirely  destitute 
of  vessels  of  war  and  without  the  means  of  facile  construc 
tion, — was  gloomy  and  depressing.  The  thought  of  turning 
his  back  upon  so  many  of  his  brother  officers,  and  of  taking 
service  in  opposition  to  them  was  peculiarly  trying.  Some 
of  them, — such  for  example  as  Bear  Admiral  Hiram  Pauld- 
ing  and  Captain  Henry  W.  Morris, — he  cherished  with 
fraternal  affection.  But,  although  these  things  deeply 
moved  him,  they  did  not  deter  him  from  the  performance 
of  what  he  conceived  to  be  his  duty. 

Proceeding  to  Washington  he  resigned  the  commission 
which  he  held  in  the  navy  of  the  United  States.  Its  ac 
ceptance  was  couched  in  the  following  language : 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  21st  February,  1861. 

"  SIR  :  Your  resignation  as  a  Captain  in  the  navy  of  the 
United  States,  tendered  in  your  letter  of  the  20th  instant,  is 
hereby  accepted.  "I  am,  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"I.    TOUCEY." 

"  Josiah  Tattnall,  Esq.,  Late  Captain  U.  S.  Navy, 

"Washington,  D.  C." 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  129 

The  President  of  the  United  States,  and  the  Secretary 
of  State, — the  Honorable  Lewis  Cass, — in  the  kindest  terms 
urged  him  to  reconsider  his  determination.  Most  flatter 
ingly  did  they  allude  to  his  present  position  and  past  ser 
vices  in  the  navy,  and  earnestly  did  they  express  their 
regrets  that  the  service  was  about  to  lose  an  officer  so  much 
valued  and  honored.  The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  also  took 
leave  of  the  Commodore  with  warm  expressions  of  sym 
pathy,  and  of  sincere  regret  for  the  necessity  which  im 
pelled  him  to  the  adoption  of  this  course. 

His  accounts  adjusted,  he  went  to  Montgomery,  Ala 
bama, — where  the  Provisional  Congress  of  the  Confederate 
States  was  then  in  session, — that  he  might  observe  the 
operations  of  the  newly  formed  government  and  render 
any  aid  in  his  power. 

From  that  city  he  addressed  the  following  communication 
to  the  Governor  of  Georgia : 

"  MONTGOMERY,  ALABAMA, 

"25th  February,  1861. 
"YouR  EXCELLENCY: 

"I  received,  on  the  12th  instant,  at  Sackett's  Harbor 
(Lake  Ontario)  where  I  was  then  in  command,  an  ordinance 
of  the  convention  of  the  State  of  Georgia,  of  the  25th 
January  last,  providing  for  the  reception  into  the  service 
of  the  State  of  those  officers  of  the  navy  of  the  United 
States,  citizens  of  Georgia,  who  might  resign  their  com 
missions. 

"1  accordingly  repaired,  without  delay,  to  Washington, 
and  having  tendered,  on  the  20th  instant,  the  resignation 
of  my  commission,  hastened  to  this  city ;  judging  from  a 
telegraphic  dispatch  I  received  from  Mr.  Toombs  that  such 
would  be  your  wish. 


130  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

"The  acceptance  of  my  resignation  has  only  this  day 
reached  me. 

"I  have  now  the  honor  to  report  myself  to  your  Excel 
lency,  and  to  inform  you  that  I  shall  await  your  orders  at 
this  place. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be, 

"Your  Excellency's 

"  Obedient  servant, 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL, 
"  Late  Captain  United  States  Navy." 

In  due  course  the  following  replies  were  received  from 
Governor  Brown  and  Adjutant-General  Wayne : 

"  EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT, 

"  MlLLEDGEVILLE,  GEORGIA, 

"February  28th,  1861. 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL,  Late  Captain  United  States  Navy: 
"DEAR  SIR: 

"Your  patriotic  letter  of  the  25th  instant  is  now  before 
me,  in  which  you  inform  me  of  your  resignation  of  the 
position  which  you  have  long  held  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  in  which  it  affords  me  pleasure  to  know  you  have 
rendered  signal  and  distinguished  services  to  your  country. 
You  now  tender  your  services  to  your  native  State,  which, 
as  her  Executive,  I  gladly  accept. 

"I  herewith  transmit  to  you  a  commission  as  Senior  Flag- 
officer  in  the  navy  of  Georgia  and  respectfully  request  its 
acceptance,  after   which,  as   soon  as   convenient,   you   will 
please  report  in  person  to  this  Department  for  orders. 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 
"  JOSEPH  E.  BROWN." 


COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  131 

"EXECUTIVE  DEPARTMENT, 

"  ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S  OFFICE, 
"  MILLEDGEVILLE,  GA.,  February  28,  1861. 
"  Senior  Flag-officer  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 

"Georgia  Navy,  Montgomery,  Ala.  : 
"SiR: 

"  His  Excellency,  the  Governor  and  Commander-in-Chief 
of  this  State,  desires  me  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your 
letter  of  the  25th  instant,  which  he  will  also  reply  to  him 
self,  and  to  enclose  to  you  the  commission  within  of  Senior 
Flag-officer  in  the  navy  in  the  service  of  the  State  of  Geor 
gia,  to  correspond  in  all  respects  with  that  rank  in  the  United 
States  service.  If  you  accept  the  commission,  fill  up  and 
subscribe  the  oath  of  allegiance,  also  enclosed,  and  return 
it  with  your  letter  of  acceptance  to  this  office  for  file,  and 
report  for  duty  to  the  Commander-in-Chief. 
"  Yery  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  HENRY  C.  WAYNE, 
"  Adjutant-General." 

This  commission  of  Senior  Flag-officer  in  the  navy  of 
Georgia  was  accepted  by  Commodore  Tattnall.  In  March, 
1861,  having  received  from  the  Provisional  Government  of 
the  Confederate  States  a  commission  as  Captain  in  the  Con 
federate  Navy,  he  applied  to  the  Governor  of  Georgia  for  his 
instructions  with  regard  to  the  acceptance  or  refusal  of  such 
commission.  At  the  instance  of  the  Governor  he  did  accept 
that  commission,  and  was  thereupon  ordered  to  take  com 
mand  of  the  naval  defense  of  the  waters  of  Georgia  and 
South  Carolina.  For  this  service  he  was  directed  to  impro 
vise  a  squadron  composed  of  such  light  steamers  and  river 


132  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

craft  as  he  might  be  able  to  secure.  This  he  did  as  effi 
ciently  as  the  limited  means  at  command  would  permit.  His 
force  was  distributed  along  the  coast  from  Port  Koyal  to  the 
sounds  south  of  the  mouth  of  the  Savannah ;  the  present 
mission  being  to  render  assistance  to  vessels  expected  from 
England  with  munitions  of  war  for  the  St  ite  of  Georgia 
and  the  Confederate  States. 


OHAPTEB  TWELFTH. 


Confederate  naval  operations  in  Port  Royal  harbor  in  November,  1861. 

Having  received  information  that  the  Federal  fleet  had 
left  Fortress  Monroe  for  Port  Royal,  Commodore  Tattnall 
at  once  departed  from  Savannah  with  his  little  squadron 
for  that  point.  On  arrival,  he  found  the  enemy  with  forty- 
one  vessels  off  that  port.  An  advance  division  of  the  fleet, 
consisting  of  ten  vessels,  was  engaged  in  sounding  the 
channel  from  which  the  Confederates  had  removed  all  marks 
and  buoys.  With  a  view  to  the  interruption  of  these  opera 
tions,  and  to  cause  delay  in  the  impending  demonstration 
against  the  Confederate  defenses  so  that  they  might  be 
further  strengthened,  Commodore  Tattnall,  with  three  of  his 
wretched  little  river  steamers,  attacked  this  division.  After 
an  engagement  of  forty  minutes  he  was  compelled,  by  the 
long-range  rifle  guns  of  the  enemy,  to  retire  under  the  guns 
of  the  Confederate  batteries.  •  So  frail  was  the  character 
of  his  vessels,  and  so  light  their  armament  when  contrasted 
with  the  heavy  metal  of  the  opposing  ships,  that  close 
action  was  entirely  out  of  the  question.  That  the  pre 
liminary  surveys  of  the  enemy  might  be  further  impeded, 
and  to  gain  time  for  the  Confederate  land  forces  busily  en 
gaged  in  confirming  their  positions,  Commodore  Tattnall  re 
newed  the  attack  at  day-light  the  next  morning.  In  this 
affair  his  flag-ship,  the  SavoMnah,  sustained  slight  injury. 
On  the  morning  of  the  7th  of  November,  1861,  the  enemy 
entered  the  harbor  of  Port  Eoyal,  and,  after  an  engagement 
of  some  four  hours,  silenced  the  Confederate  forts.  As  the 


134  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

frigate  Minnesota, — flying  the  flag  of  Flag-officer  Dupont, — 
led  in,  Commodore  Tattnall  opened  fire  upon  her. 

For  the  particulars  of  this  engagement,  so  far  as  they 
relate  to  the  Confederate  naval  vessels  then  present,  we 
refer  to  the  ensuing  contemporaneous  account  penned  by 
an  eye-witness : 

"  EDITOR  SAVANNAH  KEPUBLICAN  : 

"  Having  been  present  on  board  of  the  Confederate  States 
steamer  Savannah,  bearing  the  flag  of  Flag-officer  Tattnall, 
during  the  late,  to  us,  Disastrous  fight  at  Port  Eoyal,  I  feel  it 
to  be  an  act  no  more  than  due  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
several  government  vessels  therein  engaged,  to  report  to 
the  public  the  role  that  each  and  all  of  them  sustained  with 
honor  to  themselves  and  to  the  cause,  of  the  ultimate  success 
of  which,  by  their  patriotism,  skill,  and  bravery,  they  are 
no  unfitting  exponents. 

"  It  is,  and  long  has  been,  a  matter  of  deep  regret  to  the 
officers  of  our  nascent  navy  that  the  Confederate  Govern 
ment  has  not  hitherto  been  able  to  afford  them,  in  their 
line,  facilities  to  reap  results,  as  glorious  or  valuable  to 
the  greater  advancement  of  our  cause  as  have  been  obtained 
by  the  land  forces  in  Virginia  and  elsewhere.  But  notwith 
standing  all  this,  wherever  they  have  been  placed,  and 
under  whatsoever  adverse  circumstances  they  have  labored, 
their  services  will,  no  doubt,  in  future  be  acknowledged 
and  appreciated  in  the  impartial  reckoning  of  results  and 
distribution  of  favors  at  the  end  of  this  war. 

"The  fleet  with  which  Flag-officer  Tattnall  has  been 
furnished  to  encounter  the  navy  of  the  enemy  is,  by  no 
means,  of  as  powerful  a  character  as  even  the  now  over 
strained  resources  of  the  government  might  readily  place 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  135 

in  his  charge.  One  frail  river  steamboat,  the  Savannah, 
with  two  or  three  tugs  improvised  into  'men-of-war,'  com 
prises  his  whole  force.  Our  entire  appreciation  of  this  fact 
may,  perhaps,  the  more  clearly  enable  people  to  acknowl 
edge  the  merit  of  the  late  action,  and  the  advantages,  de 
rived  thereby,  from  our  little  naval  force  at  Port  Royal. 

"It  was  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  ultimo  that  Flag-officer 
Tattnall  received  reliable  information  at  Savannah  that 
the  enemy's  fleet  had  sailed  from  Hampton  Roads  for  Port 
Royal,  South  Carolina.  He  instantly  departed  thence  with 
his  whole  available  force,  consisting  of  the  paddle  steamer 
gun-vessels  Savannah,  2d  Lieutenant  Commanding  J.  N. 
Maffitt ;  the  Resolute,  2d  Lieutenant  Commanding  J.  Pem 
broke  Jones ;  the  Sampson,  2d  Lieutenant  Commanding  J. 
Kennard ;  and  the  Lady  Davis,  2d  Lieutenant  Commanding 
J.  Rutledge. 

"  The  Monday  after  his  arrival,  he  found  the  enemy,  forty- 
four  sail  strong,  off  the  mouth  of  the  harbor.  Perceiving 
several  of  their  vessels  to  be  engaged  near  the  bar  in  taking 
soundings,  he  instantly,  with  his  small  force,  attacked  them 
at  a  distance  of  but  a  mile  and  a  half ;  and,  after  a  cannon 
ading  of  forty  minutes,  during  which  he  succeeded  in  en 
trapping  three  of  the  enemy's  screw  pelters  under  the  fire 
of  our  batteries,  finding  that  he  had  to  encounter  English 
rifled  guns,  he  retired  inside  the  harbor. 

"The  day  after  (Tuesday),  he  again  engaged  the  enemy 
at  long  shots  for  upwards  of  half  an  hour,  apparently  with 
some  effect ;  the  flag  ship  Savannah  receiving  no  further 
injury  from  the  reception  of  two  shots,  than  a  temporary 
one  to  her  upper  works,  and  the  remaining  vessels  of  the 
squadron  receiving  no  hurt  whatever. 

"  Early  in  the  evening  of  this  day  we  were  all  much  grati- 
19 


136  THE   LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

fied  by  the  arrival  of  Captain  Page,  Confederate  Navy,  of 
Yirginia,  the  second  in  command  to  Flag-officer  Tattnall, 
of  the  Georgia  and  Carolina  coast.  This  accomplished  offi 
cer,  whose  reputation  in  the  old  service,  to  which  he  has 
long  been  a  bright  ornament,  is  well  known,  was  a  most 
valuable  addition  to  our  force,  and,  as  events  proved,  to 
the  army  also,  which  is  somewhat  indebted  to  his  personal 
exertions  for  the  satisfactory  retreat  made  by  them,  when 
even  their  usual  bravery,  most  memorably  displayed  as 
it  was,  failed  to  quite  support  them  in  their  hour  of  need. 

"  Every  one  on  board  the  little  fleet  expected  an  attack 
from  the  enemy  during  the  night,  yet  every  officer  and  man 
of  it  was  cool  and  collected.  Sensible  of  the  fearful  odds 
which,  at  any  moment,  they  might  be  called  upon  to  en 
counter,  and  fully  resolved  to  meet,  as  far  as  lay  in  their 
power,  any  issue  forced  upon  them  with  the  spirit  of  *  true 
Southern  sailors,'  they  awaited,  with  courage  in  their  hearts 
and  resolve  stamped  upon  their  every  countenance,  the 
approach  of  a  foe  to  whom,  from  old  association,  they  took 
peculiar  pride  in  showing  themselves  ready  to  stand  by  their 
cause  like  men  'sans  peur  et  sans  reproche.'  But  the  Ameri 
can  fleet  did  not  attempt  an  entrance,  and  morning  dawn 
showed  it  to  be  in  the  position  of  the  day  previous.  Another 
twenty-four  hours  passed  only  to  reveal  the  same  mysterious 
inaction  on  the  part  of  the  enemy. 

"Thursday  morning,  however,  at  about  half-past  nine, 
their  fleet  was  seen  to  'get  under  way'  and  stand  into  the 
harbor  in  the  following  order :  The  Minnesota,  51,  a  screw, 
leading,  the  flag  of  Flag-officer  Dupont  at  the  mizzen,  closely 
followed  by  the  paddle-wheel  steam  frigate  Susquehannah, 
15  ;  the  San  Jacinto,  14,  screw  steam  corvette,  and  a  number 
of  screw  and  paddle  pelters,  mounting  rifled  guns,  one  of 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  137 

which  towed  in  a  sailing  'Jackass  frigate,'  not  recognized 
by  our  officers  with  certainty,  but  supposed  to  have  been 
the  Cumberland,  24.  At  nine  o'clock,  having  got  within 
range,  they  opened  quite  a  heavy  fire  upon  the  batteries, 
which  was  returned  by  them  with  spirit. 

"  Flag-officer  Tattnall  ordered  the  anchor  of  the  Savannah 
hove  up  when  the  enemy  had  advanced  to  within  a  mile  and 
a  half  of  him,  and  steaming  up  toward  Hilton  Head  battery, 
took  a  raking  position  upon  the  bow  of  the  largest  American 
frigate,  then  hotly  engaging  it,  and  opened  fire  with  his 
thirty-two's  upon  her,  to  which,  however,  she  did  not  deign 
immediately  to  reply. 

"Our  distance  was  too  great  (being  that  of  a  mile),  and 
our  guns  were  of  too  light  a  calibre  to  enable  us  to  do  her 
much,  if  any,  injury.  Several  excellent  shots  were  made 
by  Midshipman  B.  Moses,  commanding  the  after  gun,  but 
with  what  effect  was,  of  course,  impossible  for  us  to  de 
termine.  All  this  time  the  enemy's  frigate  was  gradually 
nearing  us  for  the  double  purpose  of  enfilading  the  battery 
and  returning  the  respects  of  our  little  vessel ;  but  the  Com 
modore,  disliking  to  run  unless  under  a  fire,  and  that  a  hot 
one,  only  gave  the  order  to  retreat  when  the  frigate,  round 
ing  to,  discharged  her  first  gun  at  us,  and  the  Smquehannali 
commenced  a  pursuit.  • 

"We  soon  found  the  frigate  to  be  rapidly  gaining  upon 
us,  and  that  if  we  were  not  in  the  meantime  blown  out  of 
the  water,  Skull  creek  was  our  only  haven  of  refuge  from 
a  prison  in  the  great  American  metropolis.  The  Minnesota, 
evidently  disposed  to  return  our  attentions  of  the  last  two 
days  once  and  forever,  discharged,  at  a  distance  of  eight 
hundred  yards,  three  broadsides  in  quick  succession  against 
our  miserable  cockle-shell,  but  thanks  to  her  poor  gunnery 


138  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

and  our  luck,  we  were  only  hit  once  by  an  eleven  inch  shell 
that  entered  our  port  wheel-house,  carrying  away  bulk 
heads  and  stancheons,  though  hurting  no  one,  from  the 
fact  that  it  did  not  explode,  and  lit  upon  the  starboard  side 
of  the  gun-deck,  passing  within  two  feet  of  Captain  Page 
who  was  superintending  the  working  of  the  forward  gun. 
At  this  juncture  we  were  so  close  to  the  enemy's  ships  that 
their  crews  could,  with  the  naked  eye,  be  distinctly  seen 
ramming  home  the  guns,  and  Flag-officer  Tattnall  regretting 
his  inability  to  return  the  high-flown  compliments  of  Flag- 
officer  Dupont  in  a  more  satisfactory  manner,  ordered  his 
blue  flag  dipped  three  times  to  him  in  token  of  his  acknowl 
edgments  of  the  same. 

"  We  reached  Skull  creek  in  safety  at  about  eleven  o'clock, 
and  went  alongside  of  '  Seabrook's  Landing,'  when  the  Flag- 
officer  instantly  dispatched  our  marines,  under  the  com 
mand  of  Captain  G.  Holmes,  of  Savannah,  an  experienced 
officer,  over  the  other  side  of  the  island  to  render  assistance 
to  the  fatigued  garrison  of  the  battery, — Captain  Page,  at  the 
request  of  the  Flag-officer,  superintending  the  debarkation. 

"They  were  followed  an  hour  afterwards  by  Flag-officer 
Tattnall,  Captain  Page,  and  Midshipman  Barron  Carter,  of 
Augusta, — the  Flag-officer's  Aid, — who  preceded  all  the 
available  seamen  of  the  steam  gun-vessels  Savannah  and 
Sampson,  with  some  few  marines  of  the  latter  vessel  under 
the  command  of  Lieutenant  Philip  Porcher,  of  South  Caro 
lina,  ordered  to  make  speed  with  all  our  naval  ammunition 
to  the  battery  which,  at  this  time,  appeared  to  be  hard 
pressed. 

"I  accompanied  the  command  .of  Lieutenant  Porcher  to 
within  a  half  mile  of  the  battery.  Before  reaching  that 
point,  however,  the  firing  between  the  battery  and  shipping 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  139 

had  ceased,  and  the  Lieutenant,  from  the  number  of  strag 
gling  soldiers  en  route  to  the  landing  'in  search  of  their 
companies,'  thought  things  not  exactly  as  they  should  be, 
and  so  remarked,  but  he  nevertheless  kept  on  his  course 
until  informed  officially  by  an  army  officer,  of  the  garrison 
being  in  the  enemy's  possession,  and  advised  him  to  '  make 
the  best  of  his  way  back  to  his  vessel.'  This  advice  he 
partially  followed  by  countermarching  his  men,  in  good 
order,  at  common  time. 

"I,  however,  not  being  an  active  participant  in  the  affair, 
but  merely  a  spectator,  pushed  further  on  to  learn  the  fate 
of  the  Flag-officer,  and  Captain  Holmes'  command,  and 
met  them  at  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the 
battery.  Captain  Holmes  was  missing.  He,  upon  his  near 
approach  to  the  fort,  had  gone  on  in  advance  of  his  com 
pany  to  see  how  matters  stood  and  had  not  returned,  when 
the  Commodore  finding  all  to  be  lost,  and  conceiving  the 
Captain  to  have  been  captured,  ordered  Lieutenant  Raney, 
of  Florida,  the  second  in  command,  to  follow  after  him 
with  his  men  to  the  steamer ;  to  use  his  own  words,  '  feel 
ing  no  fear  for  the  success  of  the  retreat,  or  his  personal 
safety,  with  so  reliable  an  officer  in  his  rear.' 

"When  we  reached  Seabrook's  Landing  the  steamer  Sa 
vannah  had  left  for  the  city  to  repair  damages  sustained 
in  the  engagement,  but  the  paddle  gun-vessel  Sampson, 
Lieutenant  Commanding  Kennard,  received  us  all  on  board, 
and  afterwards,  at  the  request  of  certain  army  officers,  many 
of  the  volunteers  who,  most  unfortunately,  had  not  yet 
been  able  to  find  their  companies,  and  were  consequently 
in  much  disorder.  The  embarkation  of  these  last  was  su 
perintended  by  Captain  Page,  and  detained  us  until  late 
in  the  evening. 


140  THE  LIFE  AND  SEKVICES  OF 

"At  11  o'clock  the  paddle  gun-vessel  Resolute,  2d  Lieute 
nant  Commanding  Jones,  arrived  at  Pope's  Jetty  from  Sa 
vannah,  where  she  had  been  sent  early  in  the  morning  with 
dispatches  from  the  Flag-officer  commanding.  At  this  Jetty 
Lieutenant  Jones  found  a  crowd  of  soldiers  who  expressed 
an  evident  desire  to  'join  their  companies  on  the  opposite 
shore,'  and  gave  earnest  that  were  he  to  tow  them  over  to 
it  in  flats  procured  for  the  purpose,  it  would  be  a  small 
favor  gratefully  received.  This  much  he  did  for  them,  and 
made  a  report  to  the  Flag-officer  afterwards,  from  whom 
he  received  a  warm  approval  for  'the  celerity  with  which 
he  had  executed  his  orders,'  and  for  'the  new  instance  of 
that  discretion  he  always  evinced  whenever  left  to  the  ex 
ercise  of  his  better  judgment.' 

"  One  act  performed  by  the  navy  was  so  important  to 
the  safe  retreat  of  the  troops  and,  withal,  so  illustrative  of 
the  two  gallant  officers,  Lieutenants  Jones  and  Johnston 
who  conceived  it,  that,  upon  the  common  principle,  although 
apostolic,  of  'honor  to  whom  honor  is  due,'  I  cannot  forbear 
from  giving  it  a  passing  notice. 

"It  seems  that  Lieutenant  Commanding  Jones,  after  he 
had  taken  off  to  his  steamer  all  the  troops  from  Pope's 
Jetty  whom  he  supposed  desirous  to  retreat  on  board, 
returned  to  the  other  one,  in  order  to  communicate  with 
the  -Flag-officer,  and,  upon  his  arrival  there,  learned  that 
two  brass  guns  were  left  mounted  and  unspiked  by  an  ar 
tillery  company  on  the  jetty  he  had  just  left.  He  instantly, 
with  Lieutenant  Johnston,  Confederate  Navy,  of  Tennessee, 
volunteered  to  attempt  their  recovery,  which  proposition 
was  readily  accepted  and  warmly  approved  by  the  Com- 
mander-in-Chief.  Accordingly,  at  about. twelve  o'clock,  his 
steamer,  the  Resolute,  again  changing  her  course,  reached 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  141 

the  lower,  or  Pope's  Jetty,  when  Lieutenant  Johnston,  at 
the  order  of  Mr.  Jones,  went  ashore,  accompanied  by  young 
Midshipman  Chew,  and  found  the  guns  in  the  same  posi 
tion  and  condition  in  which  they  had  been  described.  The 
Lieutenant,  however,  not  desiring  by  a  hasty  act  to  possibly 
retard,  if  not  disconcert  any  plan  of  the  army,  first  hailed  a 
steamboat  containing  the  company  whose  guns  they  were, 
desiring  to  know  if  they  contemplated  leaving  them  behind, 
and  received  for  reply  that,  '  not  being  of  any  further  use  to 
them,  they  were  spiked  and  left.'  Lieutenant  Johnston  read- 
ilv  removed  with  his  fingers  the  ends  of  two  priming  wires 
that  had  been  thrust  into  the  touch-holes  of  the  guns  and 
substituted  in  their  places  substantial  rat-tail  files,  with 
which  he  had  provided  himself  for  the  purpose.  He  then 
succeeded  in  dismounting  one  of  the  guns  and  throwing 
it  overboard ;  the  other  he  was  obliged  to  leave  on  its  car 
riage  on  the  wharf,  for  want  of  time. 

"Flag-officer  Tattnall  left  the  island,  with  the  Resolute 
and  Sampson,  at  about  2  A.  M.  for  Savannah,  which  he 
reached  a  little  after  day-light,  carrying  with  him  as  pas 
sengers  many  of  the  officers  and  men  from  the  captured 
garrison. 

"It  is,  Mr.  Editor,  superfluous  to  mention  the  conduct 
of  individual  officers  in  a  position  where  all  have  proven 
themselves  so  meritorious.  Of  the  Lieutenants  command 
ing  it  may  be  said  that  they  did  their  duty  manfully,  as 
men  of  the  old  line  could  not  but  have  done.  Our  little  fleet 
has  some  of  the  finest  of  that  line,  too.  Lieutenants  Jones 
and  Johnston  having  been  mentioned,  young  Lieutenant 
Wilburn  Hall,  of  Georgia,  who  wore  in  action  the  sword 
presented  him  by  the  American  Government  for  the  first 
character  and  scholarship  of  all  his  date  at  the  naval  school, 


THE  LIFE  ANi)   SERVICES   OF" 


and  Midshipman  Seals,  the  Executive  Officer  of  Commo 
dore  Tattnall's  flag  ship,  having,  by  their  coolness  and  cour 
age,  given  pretty  strong  evidence  that  they  will  some  day 
'possess  a  gazette  of  their  own,'  and  being  the  only  officers 
under  my  observation  during  the  fight,  I  can  do  no  better 
than  to  adduce  their  conduct  as  an  index  to  that  of  all 
the  other  officers  in  the  fleet. 

"  Respectfully,  etc., 

"AN  EYE-WITNESS." 


CHAPTER  THIRTEENTH. 


Attack  upon  the  Federal  vessels  blockading  the  port  of  Savannah.  Bat 
tery  Cheves  erected,  and  manned  by  the  navy.  Ineffectual  efforts  to 
defeat  Federal  operations  looking  to  the  investment  of  Fort  Pulaski. 
Convoys  a  six  months'  supply  of  provisions  to  the  fort.  Pulaski 
isolated.  Projected  assault  upon  the  battery  on  Oakley  island.  Con 
gratulatory  letter  to  Captain  Buchanan  on  the  success  of  the  Virginia. 

With  a  view  to  testing  the  range  of  some  rifle  guns  lately 
received  on  the  station,  and  to  afford  his  men  some  practice, 
on  the  26th  of  December,  1861,  the  Commodore  attacked, 
with  his  flotilla,  the  enemy's  blockading  vessels  then  lying 
in  the  mouth  of  the  Savannah  river.  Retiring  before  his 
fire,  the  enemy  stood  out  to  sea.  After  a  pursuit  of  several 
miles,  and  having  demonstrated  the  inefficient  character  of 
the  guns,  the  Confederate  flotilla  returned  to  its  anchorage. 
The  Commodore's  attention  was  now  earnestly  directed  to 
the  establishment  of  suitable  defenses  along  the  water  ap 
proaches  to  Savannah.  On  a  small  island  opposite  Fort 
Jackson  he  constructed  a  battery  which,  in  honor  of  Doctor 
Cheves  who  superintended  its  erection,  was  called  Battery 
Cheves.  A  part  of  its  armament  consisted  of  some  long 
32-pounder  ship's  guns  furnished  by  the  Navy  Department 
from  the  Norfolk  Navy  Yard  upon  the  requisition  of  the 
Commodore.  This  work  enfiladed  the  approach  by  the  river 
channel,  and  its  tenure  and  defense  were  then  confided  to 
the  navy.  Fire  rafts  were  also  prepared  at  his  suggestion, 
and  placed  in  the  Savannah  near  Fort  Jackson. 

During  the  late  fall  and  early  winter  of  this  year,  the 
Federals  commenced  operations  looking  to  the  isolation  and 

final  reduction   of   Fort   Pulaski.     Possessing   a   numerous 
20 


144  THE  LIFE  AND  SEEVICES  OF 

fleet  of  gun  boats, — well  armed  and  of  light  draught, — they 
were  able  to  ascend  the  inlets  and  creeks  permeating  the 
delta  of  the  Savannah  river,  select  positions  for  investing 
batteries,  and  cover  their  working  parties.  In  the  efforts 
to  retard  them  in  their  design,  the  flotilla  of  the  Commo 
dore  was  active  ;  but  the  vessels  composing  it  were  inade 
quate  to  the  task. 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1862,  perceiving  that  its  isolation 
was  at  hand,  the  General  Commanding  requested  Commo 
dore  Tattnall  to  convoy  a  six  months'  supply  of  provisions 
to  Fort  Pulaski.  To  do  this  it  was  necessary  to  pass 
through  a  cross  fire  from  thirteen  of  the  enemy's  vessels ; — 
seven  of  them  lying  in  Lazaretto  creek,  south  of  the  Sa 
vannah  river,  and  six  in  the  channel  running  between  Turtle 
and  Jones  islands  towards  the  Carolina  shore.  Although 
the  enemy's  fire  was  heavy,  and,  considering  the  distance, 
well  directed,  the  provisions  were  safely  thrown  into  the 
-fort,  and  the  vessels  returned  to  Savannah  without  injury. 

The  Navy  Department  was  at  this  time  advised  by  the 
Commodore  that  the  enemy,  whenever  so  disposed,  could 
take  possession  of  the  Savannah  river  in  rear  of  Fort 
Pulaski.  He  urged  forward,  by  every  means  at  command, 
the  completion  of  the  defensive  works  in  the  vicinity  of 
Fort  Jackson.  Why  the  Federals  did  not,  at  this  epoch, 
advance  their  gun  boats  for  the  capture  of  Savannah  ap 
pears  inexplicable.  It  has  been  suggested  that  the  presence 
of  Commodore  Tattnall  and  of  some  of  the  best  officers 
of  the  old  navy,  then  under  his  command,  may  have  exerted 
no  inconsiderable  influence  in  inclining  the  enemy  to  caution. 
That  the  Federals  were  informed  of  the  condition  and 
character  of  the  works  then  existent  for  the  protection  of 
Savannah,  cannot  be  doubted. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  145 

The  removal  of  the  obstructions  placed  by  the  Confed 
erates  in  Wall's  cut, — a  channel  connecting  New  and  Wright 
rivers, — afforded  the  enemy's  gun-boats  the  means  of  en 
tering  the  Savannah  river  in  rear  of  Fort  Pulaski  without 
encountering  the  fire  of  its  guns,  and  of  covering  Federal 
working  parties  employed  in  the  erection  of  investing  bat 
teries  at  Venus'  Point  and  on  Oakley  island.  During  the 
month  of  February  the  enemy  maintained  such  a  formidable 
force  of  gun-boats  in  and  around  the  Savannah  river,  that 
the  little  Confederate  flotilla  was  entirely  prevented  from 
reconnoitering  its  channel  and  the  creeks  communicating 
with  the  sound.  By  operating  at  night  and  keeping  quiet 
during  the  day,  much  work  had  been  accomplished  before 
the  precise  location  of  these  investing  batteries  was  ascer 
tained.  Upon  unmasking  his  works  at  Venus'  Point  and 
on  Oakley  island, — the  one  mounting  eight  heavy  guns  and 
the  other  nine, — it  was  apparent  that  the  isolation  of  Fort 
Pulaski  was  complete,  and  that  its  reduction  was  simply  a 
question  of  time,  unless  prompt  relief  could  be  afforded. 
The  enemy  was  also  employed  in  the  erection  of  formidable 
batteries  on  Tybee  island,  and  at  other  points,  for  the 
bombardment  of  the  fort. 

General  Robert  E.  Lee, — then  commanding  the  military 
department  of  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  and  Florida, — had 
an  interview  with  Flag-officer  Tattnall,  in  which  the  possi 
bility  of  relieving  Fort  Pulaski  was  earnestly  and  carefully 
discussed.  The  Commodore  expressed  the  opinion  (in 
which  General  Lee  fully  concurred)  that  there  was  no  way 
of  doing  so  except  by  a  successful  assault  upon  the  battery 
erected  on  Oakley  island.  This  carried,  additional  .men  and 
munitions  might  be  thrown  into  the  fort.  General  Lee  re 
garded  such  an  attempt  as  entirely  too  hazardous.  Stung 


146  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES  OF 

by  some  remarks  attributed  to  General  Lee,  and  repeated 
by  some  one  to  the  Flag-officer,  the  latter  determined  to 
lead  his  entire  force,  in  open  boats,  in  an  assault  upon 
the  battery  on  Oakley  island.  Early  on  the  morning  pre 
ceding  the  night  upon  which  this  assault  was  to  be  made, 
General  Lee, — learning  the  Flag-officer's  determination,— 
called  at  Commodore  Tattnall's  quarters  in  the  city  of  Sa 
vannah,  and  expressed  a  desire  to  see  Captain  Tattnall  of 
the  marines,  one  of  the  Flag-officer's  aids.  To  this  officer 
General  Lee  addressed  himself  very  warmly,  and  asked  how 
he  had  best  approach  Commodore  Tattnall  in  order  to 
attempt  to  dissuade  him  from  making  an  attack  .prompted 
perhaps  by  a  wounded  professional  pride,  and  which,  if 
unsuccessful,  would  leave  the  river  approaches  to  the  city 
practically  open  to  the  enemy  ?  The  aid  responded :  he 
believed  the  contemplated  attack  to  be  very  desperate  in 
its  character;  but,  as  it  would  be  his  duty  to  accompany 
the  Flag-officer,  such  fact  rendered  it  out  of  the  question 
for  him  to  take  a  step  towards  preventing  its  execution. 
Subsequently  the  General  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Flag- 
officer  asking  a  confidential  interview.  During  that  inter 
view  General  Lee  gave  distinct  utterance  to  his  fears  for 
the  fate  of  Savannah  in  the  event  that  the  attack  failed 
of  the  desired  result.  After  hearing  the  General,  Com 
modore  Tattnall  so  far  modified  his  plans  as  to  confess 
himself  willing  to  be  governed  by  the  views  of  such  officers 
of  the  navy  and  army  as  he  should  assemble  and  consult 
in  council.  The  officers  were  convened;  and,  after  due 
deliberation,  they  came  to  this  conclusion : 

"  CONFEDERATE  STATES  STEAMER  SAVANNAH, 

"February  28th,  1862. 
"  SIR  :    Having  been  requested  by  you  to  express  our  opin- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  147 

ion  as  to  the  advisability  of  an  attack  by  the  vessels  of  your 
squadron,  assisted  by  two  hundred  men  of  the  army  in 
boats,  on  the  'battery'  at  'Oakley  island,'  we  report  as 
follows : 

"The  boats  and  vessels  would  be  subjected  to  a  heavy 
fire  of  'grape'  and  'cannister'  at  short  range  from  the  battery, 
supported  by  a  cross-fire  from  the  gun-boats  and  battery 
opposite,  and  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  result  would 
in  all  probability  be  a  failure,  attended  with  great  loss  of 
life  and  vessels.  In  that  event,  our  present  preparations 
for  the  defense  of  Savannah  would  be  thrown  away,  and  a 
fearfully  depressing  moral  effect  produced.  Should  such  an 
expedition  prove  successful,  it  would  result  in  the  spiking 
of  a  few  of  the  enemy's  guns  and  a  slight  retardation  in 
their  advance,  with  such  a  loss  of  men  and  arms  on  our 
side  as  in  the  result  to  decrease  our  means  of  defending 
Savannah,  which  we  deem  the  all-important  object,  both 
on  shore  and  afloat. 

"Very  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servants, 

"  J.  BUTLEDGE,  Lieut.  Comd'g. 

"J.  S.  KENNARD,  Lieut.  Comd'g. 

"  J.  PEMBROKE  JONES,  Lieut.  Comd'g. 

"  O.  F.  JOHNSTON,  Lieut.  Comd'g. 

"  WM.  P.  A.  CAMPBELL,  Lieut.  Comd'g. 

"  PHILIP  PORCHER,  Lieut.  Comd'g. 

"EDWARD  C.  ANDERSON,  Major  Artillery." 
"  To  Flag-officer  Josiah  Tattnall, 

"Commanding  Naval  Forces, 

"Georgia  and  South  Carolina." 

The  contemplated  attack  was  consequently  relinquished. 
This  was  the  only  occasion  during  the  war  when  the  Com- 


148  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

modore  suffered  himself  to  be  swerved  a  hair's  breadth  from 
the  path  of  duty  as  pointed  out  by  his  professional  judg 
ment  and  matured  experience.  He  was  moved  to  this  de 
parture  because  his  professional  pride  had  been  wounded 
by  some  remarks  erroneously  attributed  to  a  soldier  and 
a  gentleman  for  whom  he  entertained  the  highest  esteem, 
and  with  whom  he  was  then  cooperating  in  the  defense 
of  Savannah. 

Had  the  attack  been  made,  it  would  probably  have  re 
sulted  disastrously,  for  several  of  the  Federal  gun-boats 
remained  in  supporting  distance  of  the  battery  on  Oakley 
island. 

By  the  17th  of  March,  through  the  combined  efforts  of 
the  commanders  of  the  naval  and  land  forces,  the  river 
approaches  to  Savannah  were  rendered  secure  against  a 
dash  from  the  enemy. 

Upon  earliest  receipt  of  the  intelligence  of  the  brilliant 
and  remarkable  exploit  of  Flag-officer  Buchanan,  off  New 
port  News,  in  the  Confederate  iron-clad  Virginia,  Flag-offi 
cer  Tattnall  penned  this  letter  of  congratulation,  in  every 
line  of  which  are  eloquently  expressed  love  of  country,  joy 
at  the  success  of  a  life-long  friend, — his  junior  in  rank,— 
pride  in  the  navy,  admiration  of  valor,  and  genuine  nobility 
of  soul : 

"SAVANNAH,  GA.,  12th  March,  1862. 
"  MY  DEAR  BUCHANAN  : 

"The  reports  from  Norfolk  have  kept  us  in  a  state  of 
hopeful,  but  painful  anxiety  in  regard  to  your  unexampled 
combat  off  Newport  News,  until  the  accounts  of  last  even 
ing  reported  the  result  and  the  return  of  the  ships  to  Nor 
folk.  I  congratulate  you,  my  dear  friend,  with  all  my  heart 


COMMODORE    JOSIAtt  TATTNALL.  149 

and  soul,  on  the  glory  you  have  gained  for  the  Confederacy 
and  yourself.  The  whole  affair  is  unexampled,  and  will 
carry  your  name  to  every  corner  of  the  Christian  world  and 
be  on  the  tongue  of  every  man  that  deals  in  salt  water. 
That  which  I  admire  most  in  the  whole  affair  is  the  bold 
confidence  with  which  you  undertook  an  untried  thing.  To 
have  faltered,  or  to  have  doubted,  might  have  been  fatal; 
but  you  proved  yourself  (as  the  old  navy  always  esteemed 
you)  a  man  not  of  doubt  or  faltering  when  you  had  under 
taken  an  adventure.  If  your  wound  be  severe  I  shall  regret 
it,  but  if  it  be  not  so,  your  friends  will  not  find  fault,  as  it 
crowns  your  worth. 

"  I  hope  that  Congress  will  make  you  an  Admiral  and  put 
you  at  the  head  of  the  navy.  You  have  my  vote  for  it  from 
my  very  heart,  and  I  am  sure  that  all  your  seniors  will  cry 
'Amen.'  You  don't  know  how  much  you  have  aided  in 
removing  the  gloom  which  recent  military  events  had  cast 
over  us.  Do  let  some  friend  at  your  bedside  write  me  one 
line  to  tell  me  the  nature  of  your  wound.  God  bless  you, 

my  dear  Buchanan. 

"  Your  friend,  very  truly, 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL." 

"P.  S. — The  enemy  have  cut  us  off  from  Fort  Pulaski,  but 
the  fort  is  well  supplied  with  provisions,  etc.,  and  is  in  excel 
lent  condition." 

"Flag-officer  Franklin  Buchanan,  C.  S.  N." 
It  is  while  listening  to  a  message  like  this, — intended  only 
for  the  ear  of  a  friend, — that  we  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  inner 
life  of  Commodore  Tattnall  and  learn  to  appreciate  more 
surely  his  exalted  manhood,  generosity,  and  nobleness  of 
heart.  As  an  utterance  from  the  grave  it  enforces  deep 
attention,  and  perpetuates  the  virtues  of  the  old  hero  sleep 
ing  so  quietly  beneath  the  moss-clad  oaks  of  Bonaventure. 


CHAPTER  FOURTEENTH. 


Ordered  to  take  command  of  the  naval  defenses  of  the  waters  of  Virginia, 
and  to  hoist  his  flag  on  board  the  Virginia.  Official  communications 
in  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  Virginia,  and  showing  the  expecta 
tions  entertained  of  her  future  service.  Offers  battle  to  the  Monitor. 
Official  report  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  Embarrassing  position 
of  Flag-officer  Tattnall.  Letter  to  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston.  Com 
munication  to  Mr.  Mallory  requesting  to  be  relieved  of  command  if 
the  navy  was  to  be  regarded  as  under  the  control  of  the  military. 
Confederate  army  withdrawn  from  the  Peninsula.  Norfolk  abandoned. 
The  Virginia  destroyed.  Letter  of  Flag-officer  Tattnall  to  Secretary 
Mallory  detailing  the  necessity  for,  and  the  circumstances  attendant 
upon  the  act. 

Flag-officer  Buchanan  being  disabled  by  wounds  received 
during  the  recent  naval  engagement  in  Hampton  Eoads, 
in  which  he  had  displayed  such  conspicuous  gallantry  and 
secured  for  the  Confederacy  a  victory  so  illustrious  that  its 
fame,  trumpet-tongued,  encompassed  the  civilized  world, 
quite  unexpectedly  to  himself,  and  wholly  unsought,  the 
following  orders  were  received  by  Flag-officer  Tattnall : 

"  CONFEDERATE  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT, 
"KiCHMOND,  March  25th,  1862. 
"Flag-officer  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 

"Commanding  Naval  Defenses,  Etc., 

"  Navy  Yard,  Norfolk,  Va. : 

"SiR:  You  will  take  command  of  the  naval  defenses  of 
the  waters  of  Virginia  and  hoist  your  flag  on  board  the 
Virginia.  The  following  vessels  for  the  present  are  under 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  151 

your  command :    Patrick  Henry,  Jamestown,  Raleigh,  Beau 
fort,  and  Teazer. 

"  The  results  of  the  recent  naval  engagement  in  Hampton 
Koads  demonstrated  the  offensive  and  defensive  power  of 
the  Virginia.  To  an  officer  of  your  experience  the  Depart 
ment  refrains  from  giving  any  specific  instructions  as  to 
the  employment  of  the  Virginia,  beyond  the  general  in 
struction  that  she  is  to  be  made  as  destructive  to  the  enemy 
as  possible. 

"Herewith  you  have  a  copy  of  the  letter  addressed  by 
the  Department  to  Flag-officer  Buchanan  when  he  assumed 
command  of  the  squadron  now  placed  under  your  command. 
"I  am,  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"  S.  E.  MALLORY, 
"  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 


"CONFEDERATE  STATES, 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT, 
"KiCHMOND,  February  24th,  1862. 
"  Flag-officer  FRANKLIN  BUCHANAN, 

"Navy  Yard,  Norfolk,  Ya. : 

"  SIR  :  You  are  hereby  detached  from  the  office  of  Orders 
and  Detail,  and  will  proceed  to  Norfolk  and  report  to  Flag- 
officer  Forrest  for  the  command  of  the  naval  defenses  of 
the  James  river. 

"You  will  hoist  your  flag  on  the  Virginia,  or  any  other 
vessel  of  your  squadron,  which  will,  for  the  present,  embrace 
the  Virginia,  Patrick  Henry,  Jamestown,  Teazer,  Raleigh,  and 
Beaufort. 

"The  Virginia  is  a  novelty  in  naval  construction,  is  un- 
21 


152  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

tried  and  her  powers  unknown ;  and  hence  the  Department 
will  not  give  specific  orders  as  to  her  attack  upon  the  enemy. 
Her  powers  as  a  ram  are  regarded  as  very  formidable,  and 
it  is  hoped  that  you  will  be  able  to  test  them.  Like  the 
bayonet  charge  of  infantry,  this  mode  of  attack,  while  the 
most  destructive,  will  commend  itself  to  you  in  the  present 
scarcity  of  ammunition.  It  is  one  also  that  may  be  ren 
dered  destructive  at  night  against  the  enemy  at  anchor. 
Even  without  guns  the  ship  would,  it  is  believed,  be  formid 
able  as  a  ram. 

"Could  you  pass  Old  Point  and  make  a  dashing  cruize 
in  the  Potomac  as  far  as  Washington,  its  effect  upon  the 
public  mind  would  be  important  to  our  cause. 

"The  condition  of  our  country,  and  the  painful  reverses 
we  have  just  suffered,  demand  our  utmost  exertions;  and, 
convinced  as  I  am  that  the  opportunity  and  the  means  for 
striking  a  decisive  blow  for  our  navy  are  now  for  the  first 
time  presented,  I  congratulate  you  upon  it,  and  know  that 
your  judgment  and  gallantry  will  meet  all  just  expectations. 

"Action,  prompt  and  successful  action  now,  would  be  of 
serious  importance  to  our  cause,  and  with  my  earnest  wishes 
for  success,  and  for  the  happiness  of  yourself,  officers,  and 

crew, 

"I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"S.  E.  MALLOBY, 
"Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

Eesponding  at  once  to  the  order,  Commodore  Tattnall 
proceeded  to  Norfolk,  and,  on  the  29th  of  March,  1862,  took 
command  of  the  squadron  consisting  of  the  iron-clad  Vir 
ginia  and  the  wooden  gun-boats  Patrick  Henry,  Jamestown, 
ftaleiyh,  Beaufort,  and  Teazer.  These  gun-boats  were  small 
vessels,  originally  built  for  commercial  purposes,  with  their 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  153 

engines  exposed  to  the  direct  effect  of  shot,  and  illy-adapted 
to  the  uses  of  war.  They  were  capable,  nevertheless,  of 
rendering  good  service  under  fire.  Upon  the  enemy  they 
inflicted  much  injury,  and  gained  for  their  commanders  no 
inconsiderable  distinction. 

To  carry  out  these  instructions  of  the  Navy  Department, 
after  their  obedience  by  Flag-officer  Buchanan  and  his 
demonstration  of  the  character  and  power  of  the  Virginia, 
was  an  affair  quite  different  from  what  it  at  first  was.  When 
that  gallant  officer  steamed  down  in  the  Virginia  to  attack 
the  Congress  and  the  Cumberland  off  Newport  News,  the 
enemy  regarded  him  as  courting  either  destruction  or  re 
pulse.  The  power  developed  by  the  Virginia  was  a  com 
plete  and  an  alarming  surprise.  After  the  destruction  of 
the  Congress  and  the  Cumberland,  and  the  drawn  action  with 
the  Monitor,  the  Federals  never  permitted  the  Virginia  to 
approach  within  a  mile  of  their  vessels.  The  speed  of  their 
ships  was  so  superior  to  that  of  the  Virginia,  that  there 
was  no  way  of  bringing  them  to  close  quarters.  Like  burnt 
children  they  dreaded  the  fire. 

On  the  first  of  April  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  addressed 
to  Commodore  Tattnall  a  communication  giving  information 
touching  some  peculiarities  in  the  construction  of  the  Fed 
eral  Monitor, — then  lying  in  Hampton  Eoads, — which  sug 
gested  to  him  the  idea  of  boarding  her  from  the  other 
vessels  of  his  squadron  while  engaging  her  with  the  Virginia. 
That  communication  read  as  follows : 

"  CONFEDERATE  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 

"  NAVY  DEPARTMENT, 
"  EICHMOND,  April  1st,  1862. 
"Flag-officer  JOSIAH  TATTNALL,  C.  S.  N., 

"  Commanding  Naval  Defenses  James  Kiver  : 


154  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

"  SIR  :  The  inclosed  note,  sent  to  me  by  a  friend  from 
Baltimore,  will  inform  you  of  some  interesting  points  about 
the  Monitor.  This  vessel  has  achieved  a  high  reputation 
by  her  recent  combat  with  the  Virginia;  and  the  enemy,  no 
less  than  our  own  people,  look  forward  to  a  renewal  of  it 
as  a  matter  of  course,  and  with  very  deep  interest.  I  confess 
to  a  very  deep  interest  in  your  success  over  her,  for  I  am 
fully  convinced  that  the  results  of  such  a  victory  may  save 
millions  of  money,  and  perhaps  thousands  of  lives ;  and 
hence  I  cannot  avoid  communicating  to  you  matters  relating 
to  the  Monitor,  which,  perhaps,  may  have  but  little  influence 
in  determining  the  mode  of  assailing  her. 

"The  Scientific  American,  in  a  recent  number,  publishes 
a  neat  wood  cut  of  the  vessel,  and  gives  some  data  of  her 
construction.  She  has,  I  perceive,  forward,  two  four-sided 
ventilators,  about  three  feet  diameter  and  three  feet  high, 
which,  it  is  alleged,  slide  down  even  with  the  deck  when 
in  action.  But  little  preparation  to  resist  boarders  exists, 
it  would  seem ;  and  a  wet  sail  thrown  over  her  pilot-house 
would  effectually  close  the  steersman's  eyes.  Her  grated 
turret,  her  smoke  stack,  ventilators,  and  air  holes  invite 
attacks  with  inflammables  or  combustibles ;  and  it  would 
seem  that  twenty  men  thus  provided,  once  upon  her  deck, 
as  her  turret  is  but  nine  feet  high,  might  drive  every  man 
out  of  her. 

^t£^>We-  will  leave  with  your  ship  and  fleet  to  attack  the 
enemy  when,  in  your  judgment,  it  may  seem  best,  and  I 
need  not  add  that  I  have  every  confidence  that  you  will 
accomplish  all  that  any  man  with  such  means  can. 

"  Please  telegraph  me  when  you  will  probably  leave ;  and 
to  avoid  the  leaky  telegraph,  you  can  say  'Captain  Smith 
will  leave  here  on  —  at  —  o'clock.'  Good,  fearless  pilots  are 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  155 

all  important,  and  I  suggest  that  before  you  sail,  you  con 
front  them  with  the  chart.  Their  refusal  to  place  the  Vir 
ginia  closer  than  one  mile  to  the  Minnesota,  notwithstanding 
Buchanan's  earnest  appeals,  induces  me  to  say  this. 

"  With  my  earnest  prayers  for  your  success  and  the  glory 
of  our  flag,  and  the  safety  of  yourself  and  companions, 
"I  am,  very  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"S.  E.  MALLORY, 
"  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

In  his  communication  of  the  4th  instant,  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  informed  Flag-officer  Tattnall  that  the  enemy 
was  represented  as  being  about  to  move  in  large  force,  and 
that  many  transports  were  congregated  at  Fortress  Monroe. 
He  was  requested  to  penetrate  and  defeat  his  designs.  "  Do 
not  hesitate,"  continues  the  dispatch,  "or  wait  for  orders, 
but  strike  Vhen,  hpw,  and  where  your  judgment  may  dictate. 
Take  her  (the  Virginia)  out  of  dock  when  you  deem  best, 
and  this  point  is  left  entirely  to  your  decision/' 

Three  days  previously  Major-General  Magruder  had  com 
plained  to  the  Government  that  the  Virginia  had  not  pre 
vented  a  certain  movement  of  the  enemy  in  the  direction 
of  Newport  News.  A  copy  of  this  complaint  was  forwarded 
to  Flag-officer  Tattnall.  The  answer  was  patent.  At  the 
time  indicated  the  Virginia  was  in  the  dry-dock,  undergoing 
repairs  and  being  strengthened  in  obedience  to  express 
orders  received  from  the  Navy  Department.  Consequently 
she  could  not  have  appeared  at  the  point  specified. 

While  the  Virginia  was  coming  out  of. the  dry-dock  the 
Commodore  penned  this  dispatch  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy : 


156  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

"  FLAG-OFFICER'S  OFFICE,  DOCK  YARD, 
"  GOSPORT,  VA.,  4th  April,  1862, 
"  ONE  O'CLOCK  p.  M. 

"  SIR  :  The  Virginia  is  at  this  moment  going  out  of  dock, 
and  I  shall  drop  down  into  the  Roads  to-morrow  and  act 
against  the  enemy  according  to  circumstances.  I  shall  take 
with  me  all  the  steamers  of  the  squadron. 

"The  Virginia  is,  as  Captain  Lee  informed  you,  in  better 
condition  than  when  she  first  left  the  yard,  so  far  as  that 
her  Jbeam  is  said  to  be  better  secured,  and  that  another 
layer  of  iron  has  been  partially  put  on  her,  but  I  regret 
that  we  could  not  fit  the  remainder  of  the  iron  covers  for  the 
ports,  or  render,  for  want  of  time,  four  of  the  six,  originally 
fitted,  available  in  action.  The  ability  to  close  our  ports 
while  loading  would  be  (particularly  in  close  action  with  the 
Monitor)  of  great  advantage ;  for  if  it  be  found  that  both 
vessels  are  inpenetrable  to  shot,  the  contest  will  be  narrowed 
to  the  dismounting  of  guns,  and  while  ours  will  be  exposed 
the  whole  time,  hers  will  be  exposed  but  about  one-sixth 
of  the  time.  She  fires  each  gun  once  in  a  minute  and  a 
half,  and  after  it  is  run  out  it  will  not  take  longer,  at  close 
quarters,  than  a  quarter  of  a  minute  to  sight  and  fire  it. 

"I  consulted  Commodore  Buchanan,  as  you  suggested, 
and  he  advised  me,  in  the  most  earnest  and  decided  tone, 
not  to  engage  the  Monitor  without  the  port  covers  having 
been  fitted.  He  stated  that  two  of  the  Virginia's  guns  had 
been  disabled,  and  that  a  third  (the  bow  gun)  would  have 
been  disabled  also  but  for  its  port  cover,  which  shows  in 
dentations  by  two  cannon  shot.  He  added  that,  with  two 
exceptions,  all  his  loss  in  men  was  by  shots  through  the 
ports.  He  also  said  that  on  the  return  of  the  ship  to 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  157 

Norfolk  he  sent  Lieutenant  Catesby  Jones  to  Richmond  to 
call  your  attention  to  the  importance  of  the  port  covers. 

"The  opinion  of  Lieutenant  Jones  coincides  with  that 
of  the  Commodore. 

"Should  we  have  occasion  to  attempt  the  passage  of 
Fortress  Monroe,  the  port  covers  will  be  absolutely  neces 
sary  to  protect  the  guns  from  being  dismounted,  and  the 
ship  herself  from  the  effect  of  shells  passing  through  the 
ports.  1  have,  therefore,  requested  Captain  Lee  to  continue 
the  fitting  of  the  port  covers  in  my  absence. 

"The  urgent  necessity  for  getting  the  Virginia  in  the 
presence  of  the  enemy  as  soon  as  possible,  suggested  in 
your  letters  of  the  3d  and  4th  instants,  determined  me  yes 
terday  morning  to  request  Captain  Lee  to  take  the  ship 
out  of  dock  at  the  earliest  opportunity ;  and,  as  I  said, 
she  is  going  out  at  this  moment. 

"  I  presume  that  our  first  antagonist  will  be  the  Monitor, 
and  all  our  endeavors  will  be  exerted  to  meet  her  successfully. 

"I  have  carefully  considered  your  letter  with  the  one 
from  your  friend  in  Baltimore. 

"  The  plan  of  boarding  and  stopping  the  ventilators  had 
already  occurred  to  us,  but  the  idea  of  blinding  the  helms 
man  had  not,  and  shall  be  adopted. 

"I  leave  Norfolk  by  to-morrow's  tide  and  shall  endeavor 
to  deserve  success  if  we  do  not  obtain  it. 
"  I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL, 
"Flag-officer  Commanding,  Etc." 

"The  Honorable  S.  E.  Mallory, 

"  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 


158  THE  LIFE  AND   SEKVICES   OP 

The  next  day  the  Commodore  received  the  following  com 
munication  from  the  Chief-Engineer  of  the  Virginia: 

"  C.  S.  STEAMER  VIRGINIA, 

"  OFF  NORFOLK,  April  5,  1862. 

"SiR:  From  my  past  and  present  experience  with  the 
engines  of  this  vessel,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  they  cannot 
be  relied  upon.  During  a  cruise  of  two  years,  whilst  I  was 
attached  to  this  ship  in  the  United  States  service,  they 
were  continually  breaking  down,  at  times  when  least  ex 
pected,  and  the  ship  had  to  be  sailed  under  canvas  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  cruise.  When  she  returned,  the 
Chief-Engineer  reported  that  all  experiments  to  improve 
their  working  and  reliability  had  failed,  and,  as  the  defects 
were  radical,  embracing  the  entire  engines,  recommended 
that  they  should  be  removed  from  the  vessel;  and  such. was 
the  intention  of  the  United  States  Government  before  she 
fell  into  our  hands. 

"The  engines  gave  out  yesterday,  as  I  had  occasion  to 
report  to  you,  after  running  only  a  few  hours,  and,  as  I 
cannot  insure  their  working  any  length  of  time  consecutively, 
I  deem  it  my  duty  to  make  this  report. 

"  At  the  time  I  was  ordered  to  the  vessel  I  was  informed 
that  it  was  not  the  intention  to  take  the  ship  where  a  delay 
occasioned  by  a  derangement  in  the  machinery  would  en 
danger  her  safety,  and  that  she  would  always  be  accessible 
to  the  Navy  Yard  for  repairs ;  this  is  the  reason  why  I  have 
deferred  making  this  report  until  this  time,  and  I  also  was 
under  the  impression  that  the  Navy  Department  was  aware 
of  the  defective  nature  of  the  machinery,  and  her  movements 
would  be  directed,  with  a  reference  to  this. 

"Each  time  that  we  have  gone  down,  I  have  had  to  make 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  159 

repairs  which  could  not  have  been  done  aboard  ship  very 
well,  or  if  done  at  all  would  have  required  a  great  deal  of 
time. 

"  I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  ASHTON  KAMSEY, 

"Chief  Engineer." 
"  Flag-officer  Josiah  Tattnall, 

"  Commanding  C.  S.  Naval  Forces, 

"  Waters  of   Virginia." 

This  was  supplemented  by  a  report  from  Engineer  Ram 
sey, — addressed  to  Lieutenant  Jones,  Executive  Officer  of 
the  Virginia, — which  reads  as  follows  : 

"  C.  S.  STEAMER  VIRGINIA. 

"  SIR  :  The  engines  of  this  ship  are  not  disconnected,  and 
one  cannot  be  worked  alone.  As  long  as  the  vacuum  of 
the  forward  engine  holds  good,  the  engines  might  be  run 
by  working  the  after  engine  high-pressure,  but  as  the 
vacuum  of  either  engine  is  at  all  times  precarious,  and  if 
the  vacuum  of  the  forward  engine  should  fall,  the  engines 
would  stop.  Using  one  engine  high-pressure  would  also 
require  a  great  deal  of  steam,  which  the  boilers  cannot 
generate  for  any  length  of  time. 

"The  air  pump  valves  are  now  being  overhauled,  and, 
unless  there  is  something  more  serious  than  I  now  antici 
pate,  I  hope  to  be  ready  by  night. 

"  Respectfully, 

"  H.  ASHTON  RAMSEY." 
"  Lieutenant  Jones,  Executive  Officer." 

These  reports  confirmed  the  information  which  the  Com 
modore  had  previously  acquired  touching  the  unreliability 

22 


160  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

of  the  Virginia's  engines.  Their  peculiar  construction, 
taken  in  connection  with  the  great  draft  of  the  vessel, — 
twenty-two  feet, — and  her  length, — three  hundred  and  twelve 
feet, — rendered  her  management  in  narrow  channels  and 
in  the  presence  of  the  enemy  a  very  difficult  matter. 

Of  the  defective  character  of  the  engines  and  his  ina 
bility  to  put  them  in  proper  condition  the  Department  was 
duly  advised. 

The  immediate  intentions  of  the  Commodore  were  con 
veyed  in  this  dispatch  to  Mr.  Mallory : 

"  NORFOLK,  YA.,  10th  April,  1862. 

"SiR:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  confidential  letter  of  yesterday's  date.  The  plan  I 
propose  is  to  attack  the  enemy's  transports  lying  above  the 
forts  near  Hampton  creek,  in  doing  which  the  pilots  tell 
me  that  I  shall  be  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  trans 
ports  and  one  and  a  half  from  the  forts.  These  transports 
consist  of  small  vessels  of  light  draft. 

"The  Monitor  is  off  Hampton  creek  and  will  doubtless 
engage  this  ship.  I  shall  not  notice  her  until  she  closes  with 
me,  but  direct  my  fire  on  the  transports.  There  must  be, 
however,  a  combat  with  the  Monitor. 

"  I  presume  that  so  long  as  the  Monitor  is  efficient  it  will 
not  do  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  the  forts,  as  she  might,  in  my 
absence,  run  up  to  Norfolk  and  destroy  the  yard. 

"  Without  reference  to  the  Monitor,  however,  I  think  it 
more  than  doubtful  whether  the  passage  of  the  forts  could 
be  effected  by  the  Virginia  at  present,  for  the  reason  I  have 
already  stated  to  you,  the  want  of  port  covers  to  protect 
the  guns  and  the  interior  of  the  ship.  In  passing  such 
formidable  batteries  it  will  be  wonderful  if  a  gun  be  left 
serviceable. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  101 

"  I  have  been  aware  from  the  first  that  my  command  is 
dangerous  to  my  reputation,  from  the  expectations  of  the 
public  founded  on  the  success  of  Commodore  Buchanan, 
and  I  have  looked  to  a  different  field  from  his  to  satisfy 
them.  I  shall  never  find  in  Hampton  Roads  the  opportunity 
my  gallant  friend  found. 

"I  see  no  chance  for  me  but  to  pass  the  forts  and  strike 
elsewhere,  and  I  shall  be  gratified  by  your  authority  to 
do  so  as  soon  as  the  ship  shall  be  in  a  suitable  condition. 

"  If  the  presence  of  the  Virginia  at  Yorktown  be  deemed 
at  Richmond  of  such  paramount  importance  as  to  call  for 
the  passage  of  the  forts  at  all  hazards,  I  will,  on  hearing 
from  you  by  telegraph  to  that  effect,  at  once  attempt  it. 

"  It  still  blows  hard  from  the  northeast,  with  thick  weather, 
which  detains  me  at  my  anchors.  I  hope  that  more  of  the 
enemy's  transports  have  been  obliged  to  seek  shelter  above 

the  forts. 

"  I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 
"Flag-officer  Commanding,  Etc." 
"The  Honorable  S.  R.  Mallory,  Secy  of  the  Navy." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  llth  he  went  down  the  Roads 
in  the  Virginia,  accompanied  by  several  of  the  gun-boats, 
with  the  design  of  engaging  the  enemy  to  the  fullest  extent. 
The  Federals,  however,  although  in  superior  force,  could 
not  be  prevailed  upon  to  accept  the  offer  of  battle.  Com 
modore  Tattnall  had  determined  to  attack  the  Monitor  with 
the  Virginia.  While  thus  engaged,  she  was  to  be  mobbed 
by  the  Confederate  gun-boats,  the  crews  of  which  had  been 
told  off  for  this  purpose,  and  divided  each  into  three  parties. 
Numbers  one  in  each  vessel  were  charged  with  covering  the 


162  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES   OF 

ventilators,  having  previously  ignited  and  thrown  into  them 
suffocating  combustible  materials.  Numbers  two  were  to 
wedge  the  turret,  while  numbers  three  were  ordered  to  blind 
the  helmsman  by  covering  the  pilot  house.  This  plan  was 
based  upon  secret  and  accurate  information  acquired  in  re 
gard  to  the  peculiar  construction  of  the  Monitor.  Commo 
dore  Tattnall  expected  that  probably  half  of  his  gun-boats 
would  be  sunk  or  crippled  in  the  attempt,  but  he  was  quite 
sanguine  of  throwing  on  the  Monitor's  deck  a  number  of  men 
sufficient  to  ensure  her  capture.  There  could  be  neither 
hesitation  nor  confusion  in  the  action  of  the  crews,  as  each 
crew  was,  as  we  have  indicated,  divided  into  three  parties, 
each  having  its  own  duty  to  perform,  and  each  designated 
by  a  particular  badge  known  to  and  recognized  by  all.  This 
daring  resolve  was  fustrated  by  the  refusal  of  the  enemy 
to  close  in  with  the  offer  of  battle. 

In  order  to  provoke  the  enemy  into  an  engagement,  Com 
modore  Tattnall  ordered  two  of  his  gun-boats  to  run  into 
the  transport  anchorage  and  cut  out  such  of  the  vessels 
as  were  lying  nearest  the  Virginia.  This  was  successfully 
done  within  sight  and  almost  within  gun-shot  of  the  Moni 
tor,  but  she  could  not  be  drawn  into  an  engagement. 

The  events  of  the  day  are  narrated  in  the  following  official 
communication  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy : 

"  FLAG  SHIP  YIKGINIA,  OFF  SEWELL'S  POINT, 

"  12th  April,  1862. 

"  SIB  :  I  had  the  honor  to  address  you  yesterday  by 
telegraph  in  regard  to  the  movements  of  the  Virginia  on 
that  day. 

"I  have  now  to  inform  you  more  particularly  that,  the 
weather  having  cleared  up,  I  left  the  anchorage  off  Norfolk 
at  6  A.  M.  and  dropped  down  to  Hampton  Koads,  within  long 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  163 

range  of  the  enemy's  batteries,  which  fired  several  shots 
at  us,  but  without  effect. 

"Their  steamer  Monitor  was  lying  close  under  the  pro 
tection  of  the  batteries.  The  flag-ship  Minnesota,  with  a 
large  number  of  men-of-war  and  merchant  vessels,  was 
lying  below  the  forts.  A  few  of  the  latter,  lying  above  the 
forts,  on  our  approach  retired  to  the  squadron  below.  Signal 
guns  were,  at  the  same  time,  fired  by  the  squadron.  Several 
of  the  men-of-war,  including  the  Monitor,  got  up  steam,  and 
I  thought  it  to  be  their  intention  to  engage  me,  but  they 
suffered  me  to  hold  my  position  until  late  in  the  afternoon 
without  doing  so. 

"Observing  three  merchant  vessels  within  the  bar  of 
Hampton,  I  directed  Lieutenant  Commandant  Barney,  in 
the  Jamestoivn,  to  capture  them  if  he  found  they  could  be 
approached  without  too  much  risk. 

"  This  was  very  promptly  and  creditably  accomplished ; 
and  the  vessels  were  towed  out  with  the  assistance  of  the 
steamer  Raleigh,  Lieutenant  Commandant  Alexander,  who 
followed  the  Jamestown  in  for  the  latter  purpose. 

"They  proved  to  be  the  brig  Marcus,  of  Stockton,  New 
Jersey ;  brig  Saboah,  of  Providence,  and  schooner  Catherine 
T.  Dix,  of  Accomac.  One  of  the  brigs  was  loaded  with 
hay ;  the  two  others  were  in  ballast.  A  part  of  their  crews, 
to  the  number  of  thirteen,  were  captured. 

"The  capture  of  these  vessels  almost  within  gun  shot  of 
the  Monitor  did  not  affect  her  movements. 

"The  prisoners  were  examined  separately,  but  the  only 
information  received,  in  which  they  all  concurred,  was  that 
the  steamer  Vanderbilt  was  with  the  enemy's  fleet  below,  and 
that  she  had  been  fitted  with  a  ram,  very  low  down  on  her 
stem,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  the  Virginia. 


161  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES    OF 

"  They  were  mistaken  in  her  being  present,  for  late  in  the 
afternoon  she  joined  the  fleet  from  sea. 

"  This  steamer,  as  powerful  in  her  lower  frame  as  the  Vir 
ginia,  was  known  to  be  fitting  at  New  York  for  the  purpose 
of  aiding  the  Monitor,  and  I  have  reason  to  think  that 
others  of  the  enemy's  steamers,  now  below,  are  prepared 
to  do  the  same. 

"The  enclosed  paragraph  from  a  Northern  paper,  found 
on  board  of  one  of  the  prizes,  refers  to  this. 

"  I  have  reason  to  think,  also,  that  obstructions  have  been 
placed  in  the  channel  between  Fortress  Monroe  and  the  Rip 
Haps.  It  is  observed  that  the  enemy's  large  ships  pass  the 
posts  very  near  to  Fortress  Monroe,  thus  avoiding  the  mid 
channel. 

"This  morning  I  left  Craney  Island  and  moored  to  the 
buoy  off  Sewell's  Point  in  sight  of  the  enemy's  ships. 

"I  shall  act  with  proper  prudence,  for  with  the  Virginia 
at  the  mouth  of  James  river  the  enemy's  operations  in  that 
direction  may  be  checked,  which  will  aid  the  plans  of  Gen 
eral  Magruder,  as  I  understand  them.  I  shall  take  especial 
care  not  to  be  cut  off  from  Norfolk. 

"  The  enemy's  plan,  obviously,  will  be  to  get  me  in  close 
conflict  with  the  Monitor,  and  as  in  that  event  I  must  occa 
sionally  lose  my  headway  entirely,  to  seize  the  opportunity 
to  run  into  me  with  the  Vanderbttt  and  other  vessels,  which 
for  that  purpose  will  keep  out  of  the  melee. 

"  The  alterations,  it  is  thought,  have  decreased  the  speed 
of  the  Virginia  one  mile  the  hour. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 
"  Flag-officer  Commanding,  Etc." 
"The  Honorable  S.  E.  Mallory,  Sec'y  of  the  Navy." 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL. 

The  connection  of  Commodore  Tattnall  with  the  Virginia 
was  peculiarly  trying.  Called  to  her  command  just  after 
Commodore  Buchanan's  splendid  victory,  it  was  confidently 
expected  by  the  public  that  this  iron  diadem  of  the  South, 
as  she  was  called,  would  perform  wonders.  Nothing  was 
deemed  too  extraordinary  for  her  achievement.  All  things 
were  regarded  as  possible.  It  was  even  supposed  by  the 
multitude  that  she  could  at  any  moment  pass  unharmed 
the  powerful  batteries  of  Fortress  Monroe,  annihilate  op 
posing  fleets,  bombard  New  York,  or  compass  any  other 
exploit  within  the  purpose  of  her  commander.  Her  presence 
'at  any  point  of  perplexity  was  deemed  sufficient  for  the 
solution  of  every  military  difficulty,  and  the  frustration  of 
all  plans  of  the  enemy.  She  was  said  to  be  worth  an  army 
of  fifty  thousand  men  to  the  Confederacy,  and  was  an  object 
of  pride,  affection,  and  adoration.  Nor  was  this  estimate 
wholly  excessive  in  view  of  what  had  already  been  done 
and  what  was  still  being  accomplished  by  her  presence. 
She  protected  Norfolk,  the  Navy  Yard,  and  the  James  river. 
From  Cape  Henry  to  the  upper  James, — as  far  as  she  could 
ascend, — no  fleet  of  transports  could  safely  land  troops  to 
assail  those  places.  She  had  annihilated  the  land  and  water 
blockade  at  Newport  News,  passed  the  control  of  the  James 
into  Confederate  hands,  and  was  the  protection  of  the  right 
flank  of  our  army  on  the  Peninsula.* 

Nevertheless,  the  authorities  and  the  nation  clamored  for 
something  more.  Precisely  what,  they  knew  not,  but  some 
thing  grand  they  must  have.  Because  they  were  not  as 
tounded  by  some  novel  and  herculean  achievement,  people 
began  to  murmur,  and  came  to  attribute  the  lack  of  further 
brilliant  adventure  not  to  a  want  of  capacity  in  the  ship, 

*  See  Pollard's  Second  Year  of  the  War,  p.  27.    Richmond,  18G3. 


166  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES  OF 

not  to  the  absence  of  opportunity,  but  to  non-action  on 
the  part  of  the  commander.  They  lost  sight  of  the  true 
mission  of  this  vessel.  They  knew  not  the  defects  inherent 
in  her  engines.  They  appreciated  not  the  fact  that  the 
enemy, — warned  by  the  first  deadly  encounter, — avoided  her 
approach  and  declined  her  challenge  to  combat.  It  cannot 
be  denied  that  in  his  operations  with  this  ship  Commodore 
Tattnall  was  harrassed  by  these  public  expectations  which 
were  entirely  unreasonable,  and  by  constant  nagging  by 
the  Navy  Department  which  seemed  hardly  aware  of  what 
it  expected  to  be  done,  and  yet  desired  possibilities  and 
impossibilities  accomplished  without  loss  of  the  vessel, — 
which,  time  and  again,  intimated  desires,  and  yet  would 
issue  no  positive  orders  for  their  accomplishment.  The  fact 
is,  the  Department  practically  avoided  all  responsibility,  and 
yet  expected  the  Flag-officer  to  perform  nautical  prodigies. 
It  was  no  easy  matter  for  Commodore  Tattnall,  under  the 
circumstances,  to  preserve  an  even  temper,  and  pursue  such 
unruffled  course  as  the  exigencies  of  the  service  demanded. 

To  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  who  had  addressed  him 
a  communication  requesting  him,  if  practicable,  to  pass 
Fortress  Monroe,  avoid  the  Federal  fleet  just  below,  and 
proceed  to  the  York  river  for  the  purpose  of  destroying 
the  enemy's  transports,  Commodore  Tattnall  replied : 

"  NORFOLK,  VA.,  April  30th,  1862. 
"  GENERAL  : 

"  I  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  letter  of  the  28th  instant 
as  the  Virginia  was  on  the  point  of  dropping  down  to 
Hampton  Roads,  and  deferred  the  movement  until  I  could 
consult  competent  pilots  and  others  as  to  the  possibility 
of  running  the  Virginia  by  the  forts  and  to  the  position 
occupied  by  the  enemy's  fleet  at  the  mouth  of  the  Poquosin. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  167 

"I  enclose  you  a  copy  of  the  opinion  of  the  two  pilots 
of  the  ship,  which,  condensed,  is  that  on  a  day  clear  enough 
for  the  land  to  be  seen  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  reach 
ing  York  river,  but  that  at  night  it  could  not  be  undertaken 
with  a  reasonable  prospect  of  success.  This  would,  of 
course,  oblige  me  to  pass  the  forts  by  day-light,  after  which 
I  should  have  to  contend  with  the  squadron  of  men-of-war 
below  the  forts,  which  is  large,  and  includes  the  Minnesota, 
the  iron-clad  steamers  Monitor,  Saugatuck,  and  Galena,  and 
the  powerful  steamer  Vanderbilt,  fitted  with  a  ram  expressly 
to  attack  the  Virginia. 

"  Should  I  pass  the  forts  and  ships,  the  latter  (their  steam 
is  always  up)  would  follow  me,  and  those  of  lighter  draft 
than  sixteen  feet,  taking  a  much  shorter  route,  would  reach 
the  Poquosin  long  before  me,  while  the  larger  vessels  taking 
the  same  route  as  the  Virginia  (having  much  greater  speed) 
would  also  reach  the  river  before  her,  if  they  declined  en 
gaging  her  on  the  route. 

"  On  reaching  the  Poquosin,  if  the  pilots  be  right,  I  should 
find  the  enemy's  transports  out  of  my  reach,  and  thus,  at 
a  great  hazard  and  without  deriving  any  advantage,  abandon 
the  defense  of  Norfolk  and  the  moral  effect  produced  by 
the  presence  of  the  Virginia  on  the  enemy's  operations  in 
the  James  river. 

'•'I  am,  General,  with  great  respect, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL." 

"  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston, 

"  Commanding  Military  Department." 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  speed  of  the  Virginia 

was  only  six  miles  an  hour,  while  the  slowest  of  the  enemy's 
23 


168  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

steamers  was  capable  of  moving  at  the  rate  of  nine  miles. 
The  reasons  presented  in  opposition  to  the  suggestion  of 
General  Johnston  were  conclusive. 

About  this  time  Commodore  Tattnall  received  a  dispatch 
from  Captain  Tucker, — his  second  in  command,  then  in 
charge  of  the  gun-boats  detailed  for  special  service  in  the 
James  river  and  cooperating  with  the  land  forces  under 
Major-General  J.  Bankhead  Magruder, — enclosing  an  order 
signed  by  the  Adjutant-General  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee, 
in  which  it  was  assumed  that  the  Flag-officer  was  subor 
dinate  to  General  Lee  and  amenable  to  his  orders.  Against 
this  procedure  Commodore  Tattnall  instantly  entered  his 
piotest,  and  called  upon  the  Government, — in  the  event 
that  the  unheard  of  proceeding  should  meet  with  its  sanc 
tion, — to  relieve  him  from  further  duty.  Here  is  the  letter, 
and  it  is  entirely  characteristic  of  the  highstrung,  brave 
officer  who  bore  upon  his  shoulders  the  honors  of  half  a 
century  wrested  from  the  four-quarters  of  the  seas  : 

"  GOSPORT  NAVY  YARD, 

"April  29th,  1862. 
"Honorable  S.  E.  MALLORY, 

"Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Richmond,  Va. : 
"  SIR  :     I   have   the  honor  herewith  to  forward  you  the 
copy  of  a  letter  from  the  Adjutant  of  General  Lee  to  Com 
mander  Tucker,   of    the   Patrick  Henry,  now  acting  under 
my  orders  in  the  James  river. 

"This  order,  if  sustained  by  the  Department,  assumes  the 
control  of  a  portion  of  my  command,  and  seems  to  confirm 
a  report  prevalent  here  that  myself  and  command  are  con 
sidered  subject  to  the  orders  of  General  Johnston. 

"  This  would  place  me,  with  reference  to  the   army,  in  a 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  109 

position  never  held  hitherto  by  an  officer  of  my  rank  in  any 
naval  service,  and  which  all  their  reports  show  is  not  the 
position  of  the  naval  commanders,  my  opponents,  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States. 

"  These  are  times,  Mr.  Mallory,  for  frankness,  and  without 
it  discord  between  the  two  arms,  produced  by  misconception, 
may  be  fatal. 

"If,  therefore,  I  am  to  be  placed  under  the  command  of 
an  army  officer,  and,  being  a  seaman,  am  to  hold  my  action 
and  reputation  subject  to  the  judgment  of  a  landsman,  who 
can  know  nothing  of  the  complicated  nature  of  naval  ser 
vice,  I  earnestly  solicit  to  be  promptly  relieved  from  my 
command.  Some  younger  man,  whose  back-bone  is  more 
supple  than  fifty  years  of  naval  pride  have  made  mine,  can 
be  found,  I  hope  (for  the  sake  of  harmony),  to  take  my 
place  and  carry  out  the  views  of  the  Government. 
"  I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

"  Your  obedient,  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 
"  Flag-officer  Commanding. 

Previous  to  this,  Commodore  Tattnall  had,  in  a  lengthy 
communication,  which  we  now  introduce,  fully  answered  the 
suggestions  of  the  War  Department  in  respect  to  the  move 
ments  of  the  Virginia: 

"FLAG  SHIP  VIRGINIA,  21st  April,  1862. 

"Sin:  I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  letter  of  the  18th  instant. 

"I  informed  you,  under  date  of  the  19th  instant,  that 
anticipating  the  wishes  of  General  Magruder,  I  had  dis 
patched  to  the  James  river  the  steamers  Jamestown  and 
Raleigh. 


170  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

"I  presume  that  they  passed  Newport  News  in  safety, 
as  no  firing  was  heard  at  that  point,  and  I  have  heard  noth 
ing  of  them  since.  They  were  followed  yesterday  by  the 
Patrick  Henry,  Commander  Tucker,  who,  I  think,  must  have 
passed  the  forts  last  night,  as  the  weather  was  favorable. 
The  Beaufort  will  leave  to-night  for  the  same  destination, 
unless  her  services  should  be  required  on  the  canal, — the 
enemy  having  made  a  demonstration  in  that  direction.  I 
have  tendered  her  to  General  Huger,  but  he  thinks  that  he 
will  not  need  her. 

"  The  squadron  in  the  river  will  then  consist  of  the  Patrick 
Henry,  Jamestoivn,  Raleigh,  Beaufort,  and  Teazer;  that  is,  of 
all  the  vessels  of  my  command,  excepting  the  Virginia 
which,  owing  to  her  draft  of  water,  cannot  ascend  the  river 
further  than  four  miles  above  Newport  News,  and  therefore 
can  be  of  no  direct  aid  to  General  Magruder  in  the  neigh 
borhood  of  Warwick  river. 

"You  express  surprise  that  the  enemy's  vessels  should 
have  attempted  to  ascend  the  James  river  as  far  as  the 
Warwick. 

"  The  enemy's  vessels  of  light  draft  can  go  from  Fortress 
Monroe  to  Newport  News,  a  distance  of  but  six  miles, 
with  perfect  impunity. 

"  On  examining  the  chart  of  Hampton  Roads  you  will 
find  that  from  nine  to  ten  feet  of  water  can  be  carried  near 
the  land,  and  inside  of  Hampton  bar,  from  Fortress  Monroe 
to  Newport  News  (the  mouth  of  James  river).  By  this 
route  the  enemy's  gun-boats  and  vessels  of  light  draft  can 
pass  into  the  James  river  without  hindrance  from  the  Vir 
ginia,  unless  the  latter  be  placed  permanently  at  Newport 
News.  This  would  close  the  navigation  entirely,  but  would 
enable  the  enemy's  fleet,  by  a  sudden  movement  in  Hampton 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  171 

Roads,  to  cut  her  off  from  Norfolk  and  force  her  into  a 
decisive  contest  with  an  overwhelming  force.  I  am  satisfied 
that  their  object  in  not  accepting  the  challenge  of  the  Vir 
ginia  on  her  late  trip  to  the  Roads  was  to  draw  the  latter 
to  Newport  News  either  with  this  view,  or  to  entangle  her 
in  obstructions,  which  I  have  reason  to  believe  they  have 
placed  there. 

"I  beg,  therefore,  to  prevent  misconceptions,  that  it  may 
be  distinctly  understood  by  the  War  Department,  that  I  can 
not  prevent  the  enemy's  gun-boats  or  light  draft  transports 
from  entering  and  ascending  the  James  river,  or  their  army 
crossing  it,  excepting  so  far  as  the  force  of  steamers  I  have 
placed  in  the  river  may  prevent  it.  On  this,  however,  I 
have  but  little  reliance,  as  the  enemy  can  at  any  time  send 
a  force  so  superior  as  to  compel  them  to  retire  up  the  river 
behind  our  forts.  I  am  of  the  opinion,  therefore,  that  these 
steamers  would  have  been  of  more  service  here  in  occa 
sionally  making  a  dash  at  night  across  the  Roads  into  the 
channel  I  have  referred  to  between  Fortress  Monroe  and 
Newport  News  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  vessels,  but 
in  view  of  the  consequences  which  must  follow  the  crossing 
of  Warwick  river,  as  suggested  by  General  Magruder  and 
quoted  in  your  letter  to  me  of  the  18th  instant,  I  felt  called 
upon  to  furnish  the  General  all  the  aid  in  my  power. 

"I  think  from  General  Lee's  endorsement  of  your  letter 
to  the  Secretary  of  War  of  the  16th  instant,  and  from  the 
enemy's  fleet  having  been  generally  reported  to  be  in  Hamp 
ton  Roads,  that  there  is  a  great  and  widely  prevailing  error 
on  this  point.  The  enemy's  great  fleet  of  war  vessels  and 
transports,  with  a  few  exceptions,  is  not  in  Hampton 
Roads,  but  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  below  the  forts,  so  that  to 
reach  them  I  must  pass  the  forts. 


172  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES   OF 

"  The  exceptions  consist  of  some  small  transports,  ^steam 
and  sail),  the  Monitor,  and  one  or  two  gun-boats,  which  are 
under  the  guns  of  the  forts  and  not  assailable  by  the  Meri- 
mac  without  engaging  the  forts.  In  case  of  such  an  attempt, 
the  transports  would  retire  below  the  forts  as  they  did  when 
the  Virginia  approached  them  on  the  llth  instant. 

"I  suggest,  therefore,  that  the  War  Department  be  given 
to  understand  that  they  must  make  no  calculations  on  my 
'damaging  the  enemy's  transports'  or  'distroying  his  means 
of  communication'  in  Hampton  Eoads,  although  I  shall  not 
fail  to  do  so  should  the  opportunity  offer. 

"  The  suggestion  of  General  Lee  to  turn  my  attention  to 
York  Town,  after  the  performance  of  certain  services  in 
Hampton  Roads,  involves,  of  course,  the  abandonment  of 
Norfolk  and  the  risk  of  losing  the  ship  by  attempting  the 
passage  of  the  fort  in  her  present  unprepared  condition. 
The  enemy  having  had  time,  is  undoubtedly  fully  prepared 
for  the  latter  attempt,  and  I  have  from  the  best  authority  (a 
French  officer  of  rank)  that  obstructions  of  some  kind  have 
been  placed  in  the  channel,  probably  in  the  centre,  and  from 
thence  to  the  Eip  Raps,  so  as  to  compel  me,  if  made  aware 
of  them,  to  pass  close  to  the  guns  of  Fortress  Monroe. 

"When  the  ship  is  fully  prepared  with  the  covers  for  her 
ports,  I  shall  have  great  hopes  of  passing  the  forts  success 
fully,  but  the  attempt  should  not  be  made  but  for  a  sufficient 
object. 

"I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL, 
"  Flag-officer  Commanding,  Etc." 
"The  Honorable  S.  E.  Mallory, 

"Secretary  of  the  Navy." 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  178 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  Virginia  drew  between 
twenty-two  and  twenty-three  feet  of  water,  and  could  be 
successfully  navigated  and  maneuvred  only  in  wide,  deep 
channels.  Ten  feet  would  express  the  average  draft  of  the 
enemy's  gun-boats  and  monitors.  Possessing  approved 
charts  of  Hampton  Roads  and  its  adjacent  waters,  the  Navy 
and  War  Departments  ought  to  have  known  that  the  ex 
pectations  formed  and  expressed  of  what  the  Virginia  should 
accomplish,  were  simply  idle.  It  is  perhaps  not  surprising 
that  Generals  in  the  field  should  have  lacked  knowledge  on 
the  subject ;  and  it  was  entirely  proper  in  them,  through  the 
Department,  to  invoke  the  aid  of  the  navy  to  the  fullest 
extent. 

The  hour  having  arrived,  in  the  judgment  of  General 
Johnston,  for  a  retrogade  movement  which  would  transfer 
the  army  from  its  present  position  to  the  line  of  the  Chicka- 
hominy,  the  withdrawal  was  successfully  accomplished  by 
the  admirable  strategy  of  that  able  commander.  Thus  was 
the  Peninsula  abandoned  to  the  enemy.  The  surrender  of 
Norfolk,  with  its  Navy  Yard  and  dock,  followed  as  a  matter 
of  consequence.  There  being  no  other  alternative,  under 
the  order  of  Commodore  Tattnall,  the  Virginia  was  totally 
destroyed  on  the  morning  of  the  llth  of  May,  1862,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Craney  Island. 

The  circumstances  under  which  this  important  act  was 
committed,  are  fully  detailed  in  the  accompanying  letter 
addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  : 

"RICHMOND,  VA.,  May  14th,  1862. 

"SiR  :  In  detailing  to  you  the  circumstances  which  caused 
the  destruction  of  the  Confederate  States  steamer  Virginia, 
and  her  movements  a  few  days  previous  to  that  event,  I 
begin  with  your  telegraphic  dispatches  to  me  of  the  4th 


174 


THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES  OF 


and  5th  instants,  directing  me  to  take  such  a  position  in 
the  James  river  as  would  entirely  prevent  the  enemy's  as 
cending  it. 

"General  Huger,  commanding  at  Norfolk,  on  learning 
that  I  had  received  this  order,  called  on  me  and  declared 
that  its  execution  would  oblige  him  to  abandon  immediately 
his  forts  on  Craney  Island  and  SeiveWs  Point  and  their  guns 
to  the  enemy.  I  informed  him  that  as  the  order  was  im 
perative,  I  must  execute  it,  but  suggested  that  he  should 
telegraph  you  and  state  the  consequences.  He  did  so  ;  and, 
on  the  6th  instant,  you  telegraphed  me  to  endeavor  to  afford 
protection  to  Norfolk  as  well  as  the  James  river,  which 
replaced  me  in  my  original  position.  I  then  arranged  with 
the  General  that  he  should  notify  me  when  his  preparations 
for  the  evacuation  of  Norfolk  were  sufficiently  advanced 
to  enable  me  to  act  independently.  On  the  7th  instant 
Commodore  Hollins  reached  Norfolk  with  orders  from  you 
to  consult  with  me  and  such  officers  as  I  might  select  in 
regard  to  the  best  disposition  to  be  made  of  the  Virginia 
under  the  present  aspect  of  things. 

"  We  had  arranged  the  conference  for  the  next  day,  the 
8th,  but  on  that  day,  before  the  hour  appointed,  the  enemy 
attacked  the  Sewell's  Point  battery,  and  I  left  immediately 
with  the  Virginia  to  defend  it. 

"We  found  six  of  the  enemy's  vessels,  including  the  iron 
clad  steamers  Monitor  and  Nangatuck,  shelling  the  battery. 
We  passed  the  battery  and  stood  directly  for  the  enemy 
for  the  purpose  of  engaging  him,  and  I  thought  an  action 
certain,  particularly  as  the  Minnesota  and  Vanderbilt,  which 
were  anchored  below  Fortress  Monroe,  got  underway  and 
stood  up  to  that  point,  apparently  with  the  intention  of 
joining  their  squadron  in  the  roads.  Before,  however,  we 


COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  175 

got  within  gun  shot',  the  enemy  ceased  firing  and  retired 
with  all  speed  under  the  protection  of  the  guns  of  the 
Fortress,  followed  by  the  Virginia,  until  the  shells  from 
the  Rip  Raps  passed  over  her. 

"The  Virginia  was  then  placed  at  her  moorings  near 
Sewell's  Point,  and  I  returned  to  Norfolk  to  hold  the  con 
ference  referred  to. 

"It  was  held  on  the  9th,  and  the  officers  present  were 
Colonel  Anderson  and  Captain  —  — ,  of  the  army,  selected 
by  General  Huger,  who  was  too  unwell  to  attend  himself, 
and,  of  the  navy,  myself,  Commodore  Hollins,  Captains 
Sterrett  and  Lee,  Commander  Richard  L.  Page,  arid  Lieute 
nants  Ap  Catesby  Jones  and  J.  Pembroke  Jones. 

"The  opinion  was  unanimous  that  the  Virginia  was  then 
employed  to  the  best  advantage,  and  that  she  should  con 
tinue,  for  the  present,  to  protect  Norfolk,  and  thus  afford 
time  to  remove  the  public  property. 

"  On  the  next  day,  at  10  o'clock  A.  M.,  we  observed  from 
the  Virginia  that  the  flag  was  not  flying  on  the  Sewell's 
Point  battery,  and  that  it  appeared  to  have  been  abandoned. 
I  dispatched  Lieutenant  J.  P.  Jones,  the  Flag-Lieutenant, 
to  Craney  Island,  and  he  there  learned  that  a  large  force 
of  the  enemy  had  landed  on  the  bay  shore,  and  was  march 
ing  rapidly  on  Norfolk ;  that  the  Sewell's  Point  battery 
was  abandoned,  and  oar  troops  were  retreating.  I  then 
dispatched  the  same  officer  to  Norfolk  to  confer  with  Gen 
eral  Huger  and  Captain  Lee.  He  found  the  Navy  Yard 
in  flames,  and  that  all  its  officers  had  left  by  railroad.  On 
reaching  Norfolk,  he  found  that  General  Huger  and  all 
the  other  officers  of  the  army  had  also  left,  that  the  enemy 
was  within  half  a  mile  of  the  city,  and  that  the  Mayor 

was  treating  for  its  surrender. 
24 


176  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   0# 

"On  returning  to  the  ship  lie  found  that  Craney  Island 
and  all  the  other  batteries  on  the  river  had  been  abandoned. 

"It  was  now  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  this  un 
expected  information  rendered  prompt  measures  necessary 
for  the  safety  of  the  Virginia. 

"  The  pilots  had  assured  me  that  they  could  take  the  ship, 
with  a  draft  of  eighteen  feet,  to  within  forty  miles  of 
Kichmond. 

"  This,  the  chief  pilot, — Mr.  Parrish, — and  his  chief  assis 
tant, — Mr.  Wright, — had  asserted,  again  and  again  ;  and  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  7th,  in  my  cabin,  in  the  presence  of 
Commodore  Hollins  and  Captain  Sterrett,  in  reply  to  a 
question  of  mine,  they  both  emphatically  declared  their 
ability  to  do  so. 

"  Confiding  in  these  assurances,  and  after  consulting  with 
the  First  and  Flag-lieutenants,  and  learning  that  the  officers 
generally  thought  it  the  most  judicious  course,  I  determined 
to  lighten  the  ship  at  once  and  run  up  the  river  for  the 
protection  of  Richmond. 

"All  hands  having  been  called  on  deck,  I  stated  to  them 
the  condition  of  things,  and  my  hope  that  by  getting  up  the 
river  before  the  enemy  could  be  made  aware  of  our  design 
we  might  capture  his  vessels  which  had  ascended  it,  and 
render  efficient  aid  in  the  defense  of  Richmond,  but  that, 
to  effect  this,  would  require  all  their  energy  in  lightening 
the  ship.  They  replied  with  three  cheers,  and  went  to 
work  at  once. 

"  The  pilots  were  on  deck  and  heard  this  address  to  the 
crew. 

"  Being  quite  unwell,  I  had  retired  to  bed.  Between  one 
and  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  First  Lieutenant  re 
ported  to  me  that  after  the  crew  had  worked  for  five  or 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  177 

six  hours  and  lifted  the  ship  so  as  to  render  her  unfit  for 
action,  the  pilots  had  declared  their  inability  to  carry 
eighteen  feet  above  the  Jamestown  flats,  up  to  which  point 
the  shore,  on  each  side,  was  occupied  by  the  enemy. 

"  On  demanding  from  the  chief  pilot, — Mr.  Parrish, — an 
explanation  of  this  palpable  deception,  he  replied  that 
eighteen  feet  could  be  carried  after  the  prevalence  of  east 
erly  winds,  but  that  the  wind  for  the  last  two  days  had 
been  westerly.  I  had  no  time  to  lose.  The  ship  was  not 
in  a  condition  for  battle,  even  with  an  enemy  of  equal  force, 
and  their  force  was  overwhelming.  I  therefore  determined, 
with  the  concurrence  of  the  First  and  Flag-lieutenants,  to 
save  the  crew  for  future  service  by  landing  them  at  Craney 
Island,  the  only  road  for  retreat  open  to  us,  and  to  destroy 
the  ship  to  prevent  her  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 
I  may  add  that,  although  not  formally  consulted,  the  course 
was  approved  by  every  commissioned  officer  in  the  ship. 

"There  is  no  dissenting  opinion.  The  ship  was  accord 
ingly  put  on  shore  as  near  the  main  land  in  the  vicinity 
of  Craney  Island  as  possible,  and  the  crew  landed.  She 
was  then  fired,  and  after  burning  fiercely  fore  and  aft  for 
upwards  of  an  hour,  blew  up  a  little  before  five  on  the 
morning  of  the  llth. 

"  We  marched  for  Suffolk,  twenty-two  miles,  and  reached 
it  in  the  evening,  and  from  thence  came  by  railroad  to 
this  city. 

"It  will  be  asked  what  motives  the  pilots  could  have 
had  to  deceive  me.  The  only  imaginable  one  is,  that  they 
wished  to  avoid  going  into  battle. 

"Had  the  ship  not  been  lifted,  so  as  to  render  her  unfit 
for  action,  a  desperate  contest  must  have  ensued  with  a 
force  against  us  too  great  to  justify  much  hope  of  success ; 


178  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

and,  as  battle  is  not  their  occupation,  they  adopted  this 
deceitful  course  to  avoid  it.  I  cannot  imagine  another 
motive,  for  I  had  seen  no  reason  to  distrust  their  good 
faith  to  the  Confederacy. 

"My  acknowledgments  are  due  to  the  First  Lieutenant, 
Ap  Catesby  Jones,  for  his  untiring  exertions  and  for  the 
aid  he  rendered  me  in  all  things.  The  details  for  firing 
the  ship  and  landing  the  crew  were  left  to  him,  and  every 
thing  was  conducted  with  the  most  perfect  order. 

"To  the  other  officers  of  the  ship,  generally,  I  am  also 
thankful  for  the  great  zeal  they  displayed  throughout. 

"  The  Virginia  no  longer  exists,  but  three  hundred  brave 
and  skillful  officers  and  seamen  are  saved  to  the  Confederacy. 
"I  presume  that  a  Court  of  Inquiry  will  be  ordered  to 
examine  into  all  the  circumstances  I  have  mentioned,  and 
I  earnestly  solicit  it.  Public  opinion  will  never  be  put  right 
without  it. 

"  I  am,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 
"Flag-officer  Commanding." 
"  Honorable  S.  E.  Mallory, 

"Secretary  of  the  Navy." 


OHAPTEK  FIFTEENTH. 

The  destruction  of  the  Virginia  necessary  and  proper.  Admiral  Bu 
chanan's  view  of  the  act.  Flag-officer  Tattnall  ordered  to  return  to 
Savannah  and  take  command  of  the  naval  defenses  of  Georgia.  He 
demands  a  Court  of  Inquiry,  which  convenes  and  finds  adversely  to 
Captain  Tattnall.  Protest  entered,  by  some  of  the  officers  of  the 
Virginia,  against  the  official  approval  of  the  finding.  Published 
strictures  upon  the  conduct  and  finding  of  the  court.  Flag-officer 
Tattnall  demands  a  Court  Martial.  It  is  ordered.  Its  composition. 
Charges,  and  Specifications  of  Charges  preferred.  Tattnall' s  defense. 
Finding  of  the  court.  General  satisfaction  at  the  triumphant  vindica 
tion  of  Flag-officer  Tattnall.  Letter  of  the  Honorable  J.  L.  Petigru. 

There  can  be  no  question  of  the  fact  that  upon  the  evacu 
ation  of  Norfolk  the  usefulness  of  the  Virginia  terminated. 
The  enemy  would  not  meet  her  in  the  waters  of  Hampton 
Koads.  All  avenues  for  supplies, — such  as  coal,  provisions, 
and  water, — and  all  opportunities  for  repairs,  were  cut  off. 
Her  draft  of  water,  (twenty-two  feet  six  inches),  was  too 
great  to  allow  her  to  steam  up  the  James  river.  To  have 
lightened  her  sufficiently  to  have  permitted  her,  even  under 
the  most  favorable  circumstances,  to  have  done  so,  would 
have  destroyed  her  formidable  character  as  an  iron-clad ; 
for  her  wooden  sides  would  then  have  been  exposed.  Com 
modore  Tattnall  fully  appreciated  the  situation  and  promptly 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  destroying  her  to  prevent 
her  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Federals.  His  professional 
talent  and  good  judgment  sanctioned  the  act,  and  his  nerve 
sustained  him  in  its  execution.  Although  a  great  hue  and 
cry  resounded  from  many  quarters,  and  much  discontent 
obtained  upon  the  happening  of  this  unexpected  and  calam- 


180  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES    OF 

itous  event,  the  conduct  of  the  Commodore  was,  by  the  best 
informed,  entirely  justified.  Subsequent  reflection,  and  a 
more  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  facts  of  the  case  have 
fully  confirmed  this  verdict  and  the  propriety  of  his  course. 
So  soon  as  the  Virginia  was  blown  up,  her  crew  and  officers 
were  ordered  to  Drewry's  Bluff,  and  materially  contributed 
to  the  salvation  of  Richmond. 

Writing  in  1871,  and  alluding  to  Commodore  Tattnall's 
conduct  on  this  occasion,  Admiral  Buchanan  says  :  "  This 
bold,  fearless  act  of  responsibility  is  one  of  the  strongest 
proofs  of  his  unselfishness,  and  devotion  to  the  cause,  he 
could  have  given.  He  might  have  remained  in  command 
of  the  Virginia  until  ordered  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy 
to  destroy  her.  Fight  he  could  not,  for  the  enemy  would 
not  give  him  the  opportunity.  He  would  then  have  avoided 
the  responsibility  which  caused  such  illiberal,  unjust  com 
ments  on  his  act  by  the  Court  of  Inquiry  which  was  ordered 
to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  the  Virginia. 
Had  Commodore  Tattnall  not  possessed  the  boldness  and 
forethought  he  did,  and  had  he  delayed  the  destruction  of 
that  steamer,  Richmond  would  have  been  shelled  by  the 
iron-clads  of  the  enemy,  which  soon  made  their  appearance 
at  Drewry's  Bluff,  where  the  officers  and  men  of  the  Vir 
ginia  had  arrived  in  time  to  mount  a  few  guns  in  addition 
to  those  already  in  position,  and  man  and  fight  them.  The 
enemy  was  driven  off  after  sustaining  much  injury.  The 
officers  and  men  behaved  very  gallantly,  and  for  a  few  days 
the  navy  was  highly  complimented  for  saving  Richmond. 
But  its  services  there  were  soon  forgotten." 

The  vessels  composing  the  Confederate  naval  force  in  the 
waters  of  Virginia  having  been  either  destroyed,  or  sunk 
as  obstructions  in  James  river,  Flag-officer  Tattnall  was, 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  181 

n 

on  the  19th  of  May,  186'J,  ordered  to  proceed  to  Savannah 
and.  resume  the  command  of  the  naval  defenses  at  that 
point. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  the  order  referred  to  : 

"  CONFEDERATE  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT, 
"EICHMOND,  May  19th  1862. 
"  Flag-officer  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 

"  Commanding  Naval  Defenses  of  Yirginia,  Etc., 

"  Eichmond,  Va. : 

"  SIR  :  You  are  hereby  detached  from  the  command  of 
the  naval  defenses  of  the  waters  of  Virginia,  and  will  pro 
ceed  to  Savannah,  Ga.,  and  resume  command  of  the  naval 
defenses  of  the  State  of  Georgia. 

"Your  former  command  has  been  divided,  Captain  Ingra- 
ham  having  been  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  waters 
of  South  Carolina. 

"I  am,  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"S.  E.  MALLORY, 
"  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

The  wild  clamor  raised  over  the  destruction  of  the  Vir 
ginia,  and  manifestations  of  public  dissatisfaction  with  the 
act,  caused  Commodore  Tattnall  to  insist  upon  a  Court  of 
Inquiry  to  investigate  the  facts  connected  with  the  loss 
of  that  vessel.  The  court  was  detailed;  and,  strange  to 
say,  the  three  officers  constituting  it  were  disappointed  ap 
plicants  for  the  command  of  the  Virginia.  Before  them 
Tattnall  had,  without  solicitation,  been  preferred  by  the 
Department.  The  members  of  this  court  were  Flag-officer 
Forrest,  Flag-officer  Ingraham,  and  Captain 'Lynch.  All  of 


182  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  oft 

• 
them  were  aspirants  for  promotion  under  the  bill  creating 

Admirals.  To  Forrest,  Tattnall  was  junior  in  rank,  but 
senior  to  the  other  two.  This  Court  of  Inquiry,  convoked 
by  order  of  the  Navy  Department  on  the  20th  of  May,  1862, 
assembled  two  days  afterwards  in  the  city  of  Richmond. 
The  special  business  before  it  was  "to  investigate  and  in 
quire  into  the  destruction  of  the  steamer  Virginia,  express 
an  opinion  as  to  the  necessity  of  destroying  her,  and  state 
particularly  whether  any  and  what  disposition  could  have 
been  made  of  that  vessel." 

Having  taken  testimony,  and  heard  the  statement  sub 
mitted  by  Flag-officer  Tattnall,  the  court  was  cleared  for 
deliberation.  After  consideration,  the  following  report  was 
adopted  : 

"The  court,  after  a  full  and  careful  examination  and  in 
vestigation  of  the  evidence  connected  with  the  destruction 
by  fire  of  the  Confederate  States  steamer  Virginia,  on  the 
morning  of  May  llth,  1862,  near  Craney  Island,  respectfully 
report  that  it  was  effected  by  the  order  and  under  the  super 
vision  of  Flag-officer  Tattnall  after  her  draft  had  been  re 
duced  to  twenty  feet  six  inches,  and  on  the  representations 
of  the  pilots  that  in  consequence  of  recent  prevalent  west 
erly  winds  she  could  not  be  taken  with  a  draft  of  eighteen 
feet  as  high  as  Westover,  near  Harrison's  bar  in  James 
river  (whither  he  designed  to  take  her)  which  they  previously 
stated  they  could  do. 

"  I.  The  destruction  of  the  Virginia  was,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  court,  unnecessary  at  the  time  and  place  it  was 
effected. 

"  II.  It  being  clearly  in  evidence  that  Norfolk  being  eva 
cuated  and  Flag-officer  Tattnall  having  been  instructed  to 
prevent  the  enemy  from  ascending  James  river,  the  Virginia, 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  183 

with  very  little  more,  if  any  lessening  of  draft,  after  light 
ening  her  to  twenty  feet  six  inches  aft,  with  her  iron  sheath 
ing  still  extending  three  feet  under  water,  could  have  been 
taken  up  to  Hog  Island  in  James  river  (where  the  channel 
is  narrow)  and  could  then  have  prevented  the  larger  vessels 
and  transports  of  the  enemy  from  ascending;  the  court 
is  of  opinion  that  such  disposition  ought  to  have  been  made 
of  her,  and  if  it  should  be  ascertained  that  her  provisions 
could  have  been  replenished,  when  those  on  board  were 
exhausted,  then  the  proper  time  would  have  arrived  to 
take  into  consideration  the  expediency  or  practicability  of 
striking  a  last  blow  at  the  enemy  or  destroying  her. 

"  In  conclusion,  the  court  is  of  opinion  that  the  evacuation 
of  Norfolk,  the  destruction  of  the  Navy  Yard  and  other 
public  property,  added  to  the  hasty  retreat  of  the  military 
under  General  Huger,  leaving  the  batteries  unmanned  and 
unprotected,  no  doubt  conspired  to  produce  in  the  minds 
of  the  officers  of  the  Virginia  the  necessity  of  her  destruc 
tion  at  the  time,  as,  in  their  opinion,  the  only  means  left 
of  preventing  her  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy ; 
and  seems  to  have  precluded  the  consideration  of  the  possi 
bility  of  getting  her  up  James  river  to  the  point  or  points 
indicated." 

The  finding  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry, — so  condemnatory 
of  Flag-officer  Tattnall  and  his  officers, — appeared  so  utterly 
uncalled  for,  and  at  variance  with  the  legitimate  effect  of 
the  evidence  submitted,  that  it  excited  marked  astonishment 
in  the  minds  of  right  thinking  men  all  over  the  land, — 
whether  in  the  naval  and  military  service,  or  civilians.  So 
unjust  did  they  regard  it,  that  some  of  the  officers  of  the 
Virginia  entered  in  the  Navy  Department  a  protest  against 

its  approval.      After  alluding  to  the  helpless  condition  in 
25 


184  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

which  the  Virginia  would  have  been  placed  had  she  been 
lightened  sufficiently  to  have  enabled  her  to  ascend  James 
river,  the  protestants  say :  "  Thus  situated,  the  Virginia 
was  comparatively  helpless  against  iron-clad  vessels,  and 
would  have  fallen  an  easy  prey  to  the  enemy.  But  it  may 
be  unnecessary  that  we  should  discuss  this  question,  for 
we  are  not  responsible  for  the  destruction  of  the  vessel. 
That  responsibility  devolves  upon  one  under  whom  ive  were 
proud  to  serve.  The  life  of  Flag-officer  Tattnall,  now  tuell-nigh 
spent  in  the  service  of  his  country,  more  than  contradicts  any 
imputation  upon  his  name  for  chivalrous  bravery.  The  country 
knoivs  that  lie  is  not  the  man  to  become  panic-stricken." 

The  following  strictures  upon  the  finding  of  the  court, 
penned  by  an  officer  of  the  Virginia  who  testified  frankly 
and  boldly  for  the  public  benefit,  will  be  reread  with  interest : 

"JUNE  23,  1862. 
"  To  THE  EDITORS  OF  THE  ENQUIRER  : 

"GENTLEMEN:  Much  has  been  said  and  written  about 
the  destruction  of  the  Virginia,  and  the  late  Court  of  In 
quiry  has  expressed  the  opinion  'that  it  was  unnecessary 
at  the  time  and  place  it  occurred,'  that  the  vessel  might  have 
been  'taken  to  Hog  Island  in  James  river,  and  there  pre 
vented  the  passage  of  the  enemy's  gun-boats  and  transports 
up  the  river.'  In  all  that  I  have  seen,  and  heard  against 
the  matter,  there  has  not  occurred  one  idea  worthy  the  con 
sideration  of  an  intelligent  naval  officer ;  and  although  the 
times  are  troubled  with  weighty  matters,  requiring  the  pub 
lic  to  look  to  the  future  and  not  to  the  past,  I  propose  to 
investigate  the  subject  before  us  now,  that  it  may  not  fester 
in  the  minds  of  those  ignorant  of  naval  matters,  and  become 
an  incurable  national  sore.  There  are  but  three  conceiva- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  185 

ble  things  that  could  apparently  have  been  done  with  the 
Virginia,  viz  :  to  take  her  a  certain  distance  up  James  river, 
to  remain  in  Hampton  Roads,  or  to  pass  Old  Point.  Before 
discussing  them,  let  me  say  that  the  Virginia  drew  twenty- 
two  feet  six  inches  water,  was  three  hundred  and  twelve 
feet  long,  her  sides,  inclined  at  a  horizontal  angle  of  about 
thirty-five  degrees,  extended  below  the  surface  of  the  ivater, 
and  her  gun-deck  ports  only  five  feet  above  it.  First,  in 
order  to  have  taken  the  vessel  to  Hog  Island,  she  had  to 
be  lightened  to  twenty  feet.  This  draft  would  have  brought 
her  inclined  armor  above  the  water,  and  left  about  two-fifths 
of  her  perpendicular  sides  aft  covered  only  by  one  inch 
of  iron  for  two  feet  in  depth,  exposing  her  magazine  to 
every  well  depressed  shot  at  close  quarters,  and  her  after 
'  stern  post,'  which  if  broken  would  have  destroyed  her  pro 
peller  and  rudder. 

"The  best  position  of  Hog  Island,  which  the  Virginia 
could  have  taken,  is  thirty-five  miles  above  Newport  News, 
and  the  shoalest  water  occurs  about  four  miles  above  New 
port  News,  where  the  river  is  nearly  six  miles  wide.  Had 
the  vessel  got  aground  here,  which  is  highly  probable,  as 
her  helm  had  no  command  of  her  when  her  keel  was  near 
the  bottom,  she  would,  at  low  tide,  have  been  an  easy  prey 
to  any  of  the  enemy's  vessels.  Being  very  sharp  under 
water,  with  a  deep  keel,  she  would  have  keeled  over,  ex 
posing  her  naked  sides,  and  rendering  her  battery  useless. 
But  suppose  she  got  to  Hog  Island  safely,  where  the  nar 
rowest  part  of  the  river  is  about  two  miles  wide.  The 
Galena,  (iron-clad),  the  Aroostook,  and  Port  Royal,  all  armed 
with  heavy  eleven-inch  guns,  had  gone  up  the  river  two 
days  before  the  evacuation  of  Norfolk.  The  Monitor  and 
Nangatuck  (iron  clad)  could  have  passed  a  half  mile  from 


186  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

the  Virginia  in  perfect  safety ;  and  these  vessels  are  exactly 
those,  and  no  others,  that  made  the  attack  at  Drewry's  Bluff. 
They  could  have  remained  in  the  river,  received  their  am 
munition  and  provisions  from  General  McClellan,  and  their 
water  anywhere.  "What  'gun-boats,'  then,  would  the  Vir 
ginia  have  'prevented  from  going  up  James  river?' 

"General  McClellan  has  been  supplied  by  way  of  the 
York  river.  There  was  no  reason  why  any  transports  should 
go  up  James  river,  and  to  this  day,  six  weeks  having  elapsed, 
we  have  no  reliable  information  that  one  of  the  enemy's 
transports  has  come  up  the  river !  Then  what  '  transports' 
would  the  Virginia  have  'prevented  from  going  up  James 
river?'  If  she  could  not  have  done  either  of  these  things, 
as,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry  she  should  have 
done,  what  use  was  she  at  Hog  Island?  It  must  be  seen 
that  a  vessel  of  the  importance  of  the  Virginia  would  have 
been  surrounded  by  the  enemy's  pickets,  night  and  day ; 
therefore  she  could  never  have  obtained  water  or  supplies 
of  any  kind.  To  have  attempted  her  destruction  at  Hog 
Island  would  have  been,  as  at  any  other  place  but  the  one 
where  she  was  destroyed,  to  give  her  to  the  enemy,  because 
she  had  about  three  hundred  and  forty  souls  on  board,  and 
but  two  small  boats,  each  capable  of  holding  about  twenty 
people ;  and  is  it  to  be  supposed  that  the  enemy  were  so 
foolish  as  to  permit  more  than  one  landing  to  be  made  with 
out  exacting  a  pledge  that  the  vessel  should  not  be  de 
stroyed  ?  Oh,  no !  The  Virginia  had  no  means  of  mak 
ing  rafts  while  she  could  fight  her  guns.  Hence  the 
Court  of  Inquiry  expected  three  hundred  men  to  stand  on 
her  decks,  see  the  match  touched  to  the  magazine,  and  be 
blown  into  eternity,  or  jump  overboard  and  be  washed  into 
it,  as  only  one  out  of  about  forty  could  swim,  the  crew 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  187 

having  been  transferred  from  the  army  with  very  few  seamen 
among  them. 

"Secondly.  To  remain  in  Hampton  Roads  would  have 
been  to  do  nothing,  but  finally  surrender  the  vessel  to  the 
enemy.  She  could  have  inconvenienced  them  by  stopping 
their  water  communication  with  Norfolk,  but  Suffolk  and 
'  Ocean  view'  beach  would  have  bee*n  sufficient  landings  for 
them.  There  was  nothing  in  the  Roads  to  fight,  unless  they 
played  Don  Quixote  and  charged  Old  Point  with  about  as 
much  effect  as  he  did  the  wind  mills,  occasionally  feel 
ing  a  slight  reaction  from  the  Lincoln  gun  480-lb.  shot. 
Now,  if  she  could  not  blockade  James  river  at  Hog  Island, 
she  could  not  do  it  at  the  mouth,  where  it  is  five  miles  wide. 
But  we  have  seen  that  the  Virginia  had  inclined  sides,  with 
her  gun  deck  ports  only  five  feet  above  the  water,  hence, 
whenever  the  wind  blew  fresh  it  raised  a  sea  that  washed 
into  the  ship  and  would  soon  have  sunk  her ;  for  a  vessel  of 
that  build,  with  her  greatest  bearings  below  the  surface  of 
the  water,  will  go  down  very  rapidly.  Now  this  might  have 
occurred  any  night  when  too  dark  to  see  where  to  go.  On 
one  occasion  the  ship  had  to  return  to  Norfolk  when  off 
Craney  Island  because  there  was  too  much  sea  in  the  Roads. 

"Thirdly.  The  Virginia  could  only  have  passed  Old 
Point  and  gone  to  York  river,  or  any  of  the  Chesapeake' s 
tributaries,  in  the  smoothest  weather.  If  she  got  to  York 
river  she  could  have  done  nothing  still ;  for  many  hours 
before  her  arrival  there,  the  enemy's  vessels  would  have 
known  it  from  Old  Point,  and  gone  into  the  numerous  bends 
and  creeks  where  the  Virginia  could  never  have  reached 
them.  She  could  not  have  laid  in  the  narrow  channel  be 
tween  Gloucester  Point  and  Yorktown  and  blockaded  the 
river,  for  if  not  sunk  by  the  sea  in  a  few  days,  she  would 


188  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

have  been  by  the  enemy's  heavy,  long,  big  rifle  bolts  from 
the  heights  above,  without  being  able  to  elevate  her  guns 
and  return  the  fire.  As  to  going  up  Chesapeake  Bay,  or 
following  the  enemy's  vessels,  that  would  have  been  mad 
ness.  The  ship  was  not  sea  worthy.  What  vessel  would 
have  stopped  and  fought  her  under  favorable  circumstances  ? 
Will  the  Court  of  Inquiry  tell  us  where  that  'final  blow' 
could  have  been  'struck  at  the  enemy?' 

"Now,  Messrs.  Editors,  the  Examiner  of  this  morning, 
speaking  of  the  opinion  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry,  gives  vent 
to  some  very  unkind  remarks  regarding  the  officers  of  the 
Virginia.  It  should  have  recollected  that  the  opinion  of 
a  Court  of  Inquiry  is  not  a  final  decision ;  but  that  when 
the  exigencies  of  the  service  will  permit  it,  a  Court  Martial 
has  to  take  up  the  case. 

"The  latter  court  may  be  composed  of  thirteen  members, 
the  former  of  three,  and  until  the  'finding'  of  the  Court 
Martial  is  promulgated,  would  it  not  be  proper  for  those 
interested  to  take  an  intelligent  view  of  the  facts  in  the 
matter,  and  not  be  blindly  pricked  into  a  position  from 
which  they  will  be  ashamed,  perhaps,  to  recede? 

"There  was  no  panic,  precipitation,  or  even  haste  in  the 
destruction  of  the  Virginia;  no  step  was  ever  taken  with 
more  deliberation  and  coolness.  How  nonsensical  to  sup 
pose  that  the  officers,  who  had  served  their  country  a  life 
time,  and  the  brave  crew  who  had  stood  by  the  old  ship 
from  her  first  conception  through  all  the  fatiguing  delays 
to  her  completion  when  many  doubted  her  success,  and 
who  fought  the  battle  of  Newport  News,  and  thrice  since 
had  seen  the  enemy's  vessels  fly  before  them,  should  have 
been  panic-stricken  by  hearing  that  the  enemy  had  sur 
rounded  them  on  shore  ?  What  harm  could  have  been  done 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  189 

the  ship  from  the  shore?  None,  except  to  prevent  landing. 
No,  it  is  hardly  sensible  to  suppose  that  the  officers  were 
afraid  of  the  enemy,  but  they  were  afraid  of  his  getting  the 
ship,  or  the  certainty  of  having  to  destroy  their  own  lives 
to  prevent  it,  which  the  country  hardly  expected  of  them 
under  the  circumstances. 

"I  think  it  is  clearly  shown  by  the  foregoing  facts,  that 
had  any  other  disposal  been  made  of  the  ship,  she  would 
finally  have  fallen  into  the  enemy's  hands  without  having 
done  our  cause  any  service  beforehand.  Her  great  draught 
of  water,  extreme  length,  unwieldiness,  and  unseaworthi 
ness,  rendered  her  the  most  difficult  of  vessels  to  manage. 
She  was  of  no  service  but  in  deep  smooth  water.  Deep  water 
is  constantly  rough ;  if  not,  it  must  be  too  narrow  for  the  Vir 
ginia  to  have  worked  in.  She  was  intended  only  for  the 
defense  of  Norfolk  harbor ;  but,  after  fighting  the  battle  of 
Newport  News,  the  public  mind  magnified  her  to  a  power 
which  it  was  supposed  could  lay  the  Northern  ports  under 
contribution.  The  officers  were  not  called  upon  to  disabuse 
them  of  this  highly  nattering  idea,  until  now,  in  their  own 
defense.  But  because  they  have  to  do  it  as  a  defense,  an 
intelligent  reader  will  not  believe  that  they  were  fairly  ar 
raigned  for  trial.  I  have  been  writing  this  article  under 
the  supposition  that  the  officers  were  responsible  for  the 
destruction  of  the  vessel,  because  the  Court  of  Inquiry  has 
committed  an  act  of  supererogation  in  thus  charging  them. 
But  the  Virginia  had  a  Flag-officer  in  command,  and  a 
braver,  truer  man  never  trod  under  his  country's  flag.  His 
feeble  health  has  not  in  the  slightest  degree  impaired  his 
judgment,  and  every  step  he  took  in  command  of  that  ship 
proved  the  fact.  He  it  was  whom  the  Court  of  Inquiry  had 
to  deal  with.  They  had  only  to  state  whether  the  act  was 


190  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

necessary  or  not,  and  the  facts  leading  to  it,  and  the  com 
mander  was  responsible.  Who  ever  thinks  of  investigating  a 
defeat  or  a  retreat,  and  charging  the  officers  with  their 
opinions  or  advice  asked  by  the  General  commanding  ?  A 
man  in  any  responsible  position  is  expected  to  inform  him 
self  before  taking  any  step,  but  no  one  asks  or  cares  where 
he  got  his  information.  He  is  put  there  to  judge.  You 
might  as  well  hold  the  lawyers  responsible  for  the  '  decision 
of  a  jury,'  a  court,  or  judges.  They  deliver  the  verdict,  and 
it  is  executed.  The  Captain  gives  the  order,  and  the  ship  is 
destroyed. 

"Now,  I  deny  that  there  is  one  single  word  in  all  the 
evidence  before  the  Court  of  Inquiry  to  show  that  the  offi 
cers  were  panic-stricken,  or  that  they  were  actuated  by  any 
other  sense  than  a  clear,  deliberate  understanding  of  the 
awful  necessity  of  the  occasion.-  They  were  perfectly  aware 
how  high  the  ship  was  held  in  the  public  estimation,  and 
of  the  outburst  of  indignation  that  would  meet  her  unex 
pected  destruction,  because  the  public  may  be  very  good 
judges  of  military  matters,  but  it  requires  a  lifetime  to 
become  a  seaman  and  a  judge  of  nautical  affairs.  Never 
was  a  commander  forced  by  his  own  country  into  a  more 
painful  position;  but,  with  a  high  moral  courage  worthy  of 
the  man,  he  coolly  and  calmly  gave  the  order  to  destroy  his 
ship.  It  took  nearly  four  hours  to  accomplish  it,  proving 
there  was  no  panic  or  precipitancy.  The  small  arms  and 
sufficient  ammunition  were  all  saved ;  the  men  were  formed 
in  military  order  and  marched  to  Suffolk,  twenty-two  miles, 
after  ten  hours  of  the  most  arduous  labor,  and  made  a 
narrow  escape  from  capture  by  the  enemy,  who,  it  was  ex 
pected,  would  cut  them  off  as  they  passed  near  Portsmouth. 

"  For  myself,  I  am  not  only  satisfied  that  the  destruction 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  191 

of    the    Virginia  ivas  necessary,   'at  the  time  and  place   it 
occurred,'  but  I  assert  that  her  destruction  at  the  time  saved 
the  city  of  Richmond.     Moral  effect  is  a  much  more  active 
agent  in  our  affairs  than  the  people  are  yet  accustomed  to 
recognize,  and  it  is  now  generally  conceded  that  the  victory 
of   Manassas   has   done   us   more   harm   than   good.      The 
Southern  people  are  high  spirited   and   determined,  when 
aroused,  but  they  are  fond  of  ease  and  pleasure,  and  will 
seek   them   whenever   to   be   found.      Hence,    after   victory 
come  demoralization  and  a  '  laying  back'  upon  our  laurels, 
whilst  the  wary  foe,  nerved  to  madness,  prepares  for  re 
venge.     The  people  had  trusted  that  the  existence  of  the 
Virginia  insured  our  blockade  of  James  river ;  and  although 
the  gallant  and  energetic  officers  of  the  Patrick  Henry  and 
Jamestown  were  working  hard   at  Drewry's  Bluff,  yet  the 
means   at  their   command   were   insufficient   to  render  the 
position   impassable   by   the    time    the   enemy's    gun-boats 
could  have  come  up.     Suddenly  it  bursts  upon  the  public 
ear,   the    Virginia   is   destroyed!      Then  came  'hot  haste,' 
and  munitions  of  war  and  things  that  could  assist  the  bar 
ricade  were  hurried  night  and  day  to  the  Bluff.     The  offi 
cers  and  crew  of  the    Virginia  having  pushed  through   to 
Richmond,   traveling    unceasingly,    worn    out,    and    broken 
down,  were  sent  immediately  down ;  and  ankle  deep  in  mud, 
exposed  to  unceasing  rain  for  three  days,  without  provisions 
or  a  change  of  clothing,   they   assisted,  day  and  night,  in 
mounting    heavy   guns    and    placing    obstructions    to    the 
enemy's  passage  of  the  river.     The  last  gun  was  not  quite 
ready  for  action  when  the  burst  of  the  enemy's  shell  over 
their  heads  told  that  the  strife  was  at  hand.     It  did  come, 
and  how  gallantly  the  little  navy  maintained  its  reputation 

on  that  day,  the  good  citizens  of  Richmond  may  be  willing 
26 


192  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES  OF 

to  acknowledge ;  and  perhaps  they  may  sometimes  think 
that  some  of  these  men  were  not  '  panic-stricken'  when  they 
destroyed  the  Virginia. 

"In  conclusion,  Messrs.  Editors,  I  say  that  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  Virginia  required  the  exercise  of  a  moral  courage 
which  will  outlive  the  late  Court  of  Inquiry  and  the  incon 
siderate  editorials  of  the  press.  I  am  proud  to  have  been 
one  of  her  crew  from  beginning  to  end,  but  the  proudest 
moments,  in  connection  with  her,  were  those  in  which  I  saw 
the  flames  burst  from  her  hatches,  and  felt  that  the  enemy's 
tread  would  never  pollute  her  decks. 

"BAY." 

Indignant  at  the  injustice  done  to  himself  and  officers 
of  the  Virginia  by  the  finding  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry, 
Commodore  Tattnall  insisted  upon  a  Court  Martial. 

Accordingly,  a  General  Court  Martial  was  ordered  to 
convene  at  the  city  of  Richmond,  Yirginia,  on  the  fifth 
day  of  July,  1862,  or  as  soon  thereafter  as  practicable,  for 
the  trial  of  Flag-officer  Josiah  Tattnall. 

The  following  officers  were  detailed  as  members  of  the 
court : 

Captains  Lawrence  Rousseau,  Franklin  Buchanan,  and 
Sidney  S.  Lee. 

Commanders  Robert  J.  Robb,  Murray  Mason,  Eben  Far- 
rand,  A.  B.  Fairfax,  M.  F.  Maury,  and  George  Minor. 

Lieutenants  W.  L.  Maury  and  Robt.  B.  Pegram. 

To  this  detail  Captain  George  N.  Hollins  was  subse 
quently  added. 

Robert  Ould  was  appointed  Judge  Advocate.  The  court 
convened  on  the  5th  of  July,  18G2,  and,  having  been  fully 
organized  on  the  7th,  proceeded  to  business. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  193 

The  following  charges,  and  specifications  of  charges,  were 
read  by  the  Judge  Advocate : 


"  Culpable  destruction  of  an  armed  steamer  of  the  Confed 
erate  States  Navy. 

"Specification  1st. — In  this,  that  the  said  Captain  Josiah 
Tattnall,  on  the  eleventh  day  of  May,  eighteen  hundred 
and  sixty-two,  culpably  and  without  sufficient  reason  for 
so  doing,  did  destroy  by  fire  the  Confederate  steamer  Vir 
ginia,  in  Hampton  Roads,  near  Norfolk,  Virginia. 

"  Specification  %d. — In  this,  that  the  said  Captain  Josiah 
Tattnall,  on  the  llth  day  of  May,  1862,  at  Hampton  Roads, 
near  Norfolk,  Virginia,  did  culpably  destroy  the  said  steamer 
Virginia,  when,  with  the  draft  to  which  she  had  been  then 
and  there,  or  might  have  been  reduced,  she  could  have  been 
carried  up  James  river  to  a  place  of  usefulness,  free  from 
immediate  danger. 

"  CHARGE    SECOND — NEGLIGENCE. 

"Specification  1st. — In  this,  that  the  said  Captain  Josiah 
Tattnall,  on  the  said  llth  day  of  May,  1862,  at  said  Hamp 
ton  Roads,  did  proceed  to  lighten  the  said  steamer  Virginia 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  her  up  James  river,  retaining, 
however,  her  armament,  ordnance  stores,  necessary  coal, 
water,  and  provisions,  without  first  having  ascertained  from 
sources  of  information  within  his  reach,  to  what  extent 
the  draft  of  the  said  steamer  would  be  reduced  by  such 
lightening. 

"  Specification  2d. — In  this,  that  the  said  Captain  Josiah 
Tattnall,  after  having  lightened  the  said  steamer  Virginia 
to  a  certain  draft,  on  the  said  llth  day  of  May,  1862,  at 
said  Hampton  Roads,  then  and  there,  and  before  said  time, 


194  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES   OF 

neglected  and  failed  to  ascertain  from  sources  of  informa 
tion  within  his  reach  the  fact  that  the  said  steamer,  at  said 
draft,  could  have  been  carried  about  forty  miles  above  the 
mouth  of  James  river  to  Hog  Island. 

"CHAKGE  THIRD — IMPROVIDENT  CONDUCT. 

11  Specif  cation. — In  this,  that  the  said  Captain  Josiah 
Tattnall,  on  or  about  the  llth  day  of  May,  1862,  when  off 
Sewell's  Point,  in  Hampton  Koads,  intending  to  take  said 
steamer  Virginia  up  James  river,  did  then  and  there  pro 
ceed  to  lighten  said  steamer,  instead  of  taking  her  up  James 
river  and  there  lightening  her,  when  the  necessity  for  so 
doing  arose,  and  to  the  extent  of  that  necessity. 

"S.  R  MALLORY, 
"  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

To  the  above  the  accused,  Captain  Josiah  Tattnall, 
pleaded  "Not  Guilty." 

Until  the  17th  of  July  the  Court  was  continuously  en 
gaged  in  hearing  testimony. 

On  the  19th  the  accused  read  and  submitted  the  following 
defense : 

"  MR.  PRESIDENT  AND  GENTLEMEN  : 

"After  serving  fifty  years  with  unblemished  reputation, 
you  may  well  imagine  the  concern  I  feel  at  being  arraigned 
before  you  on  charges  affecting  my  judgment  and  conduct 
in  the  face  of  the  enemy. 

"  It  is  known  to  the  court  that  this  trial  grew  out  of  the 
finding  of  a  Court  of  Inquiry  convened  to  inquire  into 
the  facts  attending  the  destruction  of  the  steamer  Virginia 
whilst  under  my  command  in  Hampton  Roads  'on  the  llth 
of  May  last,'  with  instructions  to  report  their  opinion  as 
to  the  necessity  of  destroying  her,  and  particularly  '  whether 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  195 

any  and  what  other  disposition  could  have  been  made  of 
the  vessel;'  and  that  the  Court  of  Inquiry,  upon  the  evi 
dence  of  much  the  same  witnesses  that  you  have  heard, 
reported  that  she  ought  not  to  have  been  destroyed  at 
the  time  and  place  she  was.  That  I,  having  been  instructed 
(Norfolk  being  evacuated)  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  as 
cending  James  river,  the  ship,  with  very  little  more,  if  any 
lightening  of  draft,  with  her  iron  sheathing  still  extending 
three  feet  under  water,  could  have  been  taken  up  to  Hog 
Island,  in  James  river  (where  the  channel  is  narrow)  ;  could 
there  have  prevented  the  larger  transports  and  vessels  of 
the  enemy  from  ascending ;  and  that  such  disposition  should 
have  been  made  of  her ;  and  if  it  should  be  ascertained 
that  her  provisions  could  not  be  replenished  when  those 
on  board  were  exhausted,  then  the  proper  time  would  have 
arrived  to  take  into  consideration  the  expediency  or  practi 
cability  of  striking  a  last  blow  at  the  enemy,  or  destroying 
her. 

"The  substance  of  the  finding  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry, 
so  far,  may  probably  be  embraced  in  the  first  charge  and 
specification  of  'culpably'  destroying  the  ship  in  Hampton 
Roads,  'when,  with  the.  draft  to  which  she  had  been,  or 
might  have  been  reduced,  she  could  have  been  carried  up 
James  river  to  a  place  of  usefulness,  free  from  immediate 
danger.' 

"But  there  is  a  further  part  of  the  finding  of  the  Court 
of  Inquiry  (and  the  most  injurious  of  all  to  myself),  which 
is  not,  as  it  seems,  clearly,  although  such  is  avowed  by 
the  Judge  Advocate  to  have  been  his  intentions,  embraced 
in  the  charge  before  the  court.  I  have  applied  to  the  Secre 
tary  of  the  Navy  to  have  it  made  the  subject  of  specific 
charge,  but  was  informed  by  that  officer  that  he  had  referred 


196  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

the  matter  to  the  Judge  Advocate,  who  expresses  the  opinion 
that  it  is  substantially  so  embraced.  In  that  point  of  view 
I  may  refer  to  it.  It  is  as  follows  :  '  In  conclusion,  the  court 
are  of  opinion  that  the  evacuation  of  Norfolk,  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  Navy  Yard  and  other  public  property,  added 
to  the  hasty  retreat  of  the  military  under  General  Huger, 
leaving  the  batteries  unmanned  and  unprotected,  no  doubt 
conspired  to  produce  in  the  minds  of  the  officers  of  the 
Virginia  the  necessity  of  her  destruction  at  the  time,  as, 
in  their  opinion,  the  only  means  left  of  preventing  her  from 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy ;  and  seems  to  have  pre 
cluded  the  consideration  of  the  possibility  of  getting  her  up 
James  river  to  the  point  or  points  indicated.'  The  innuendo 
here  is  not  to  be  misunderstood.  It  implied  that  the  de 
struction  of  the  ship  was  the  effect  of  panic  on  the  part 
of  those  engaged  in  it. 

"Nothing  could  be  more  blighting  to  the  honor  and  repu 
tation  of  an  officer,  than  this  imputation,  if  sustained ;  and 
in  this  connection  I  desire  to  remind  the  court  of  the  heal 
ing  scope  and  efficacv  of  the  judgment  they  have  the  power 
to  pronounce,  if  the  proof  in  the  case  shall  appear  to 
entitle  me  to  it.  The  court  may  not  only  pronounce  a  dry 
verdict  of  acquittal,  it  may  do  more.  '  Trial  before  Courts 
Martial,'  (says  Dehart,  p.  180),  'must  often  involve  the  in 
vestigation  of  divers  particulars,  under  various  and  distinct 
charges.  Circumstances  which  are  embodied  in  the  charges, 
and  upon  which  constructive  guilt  is  charged,  are  necessarily 
dependent  upon  motive,  by  which  the  degree  of  criminality 
is  determined. 

"'It  consequently  rests  with  the  court  to  ascertain  this 
particular  degree,  and  declare  it  by  their  finding,  and  the 
verdict  may  be  special,  as  it  is  not  necessary  that  it  be  gen- 


COMMODORE  .TOSIAH  TATTNALL. 

eral,  as  to  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  prisoner.'  And 
again,  (p.  182),  'Court  Martials  have  at  times  stated  the 
motives  of  acquittal,  and  given  an  opinion  of  the  conduct  of 
the  accused  at  length.' 

"Now  I  respectfully  and  confidently  invoke,  nay,  claim  of 
this  enlightened  body  of  military  men,  the  fullest  inquiry 
into  and  report  of  my  motives  and  conduct  in  regard  to  the 
destruction  of  the  Virginia;  and  am  fully  prepared  to  stand 
or  fall  by  its  award. 

"It  will  be  perceived  that  the  first  charge  of  'culpable' 
destruction  of  the  Virginia  is  by  no  means  narrowed  by 
the  first  specification  of  culpably,  and  without  sufficient 
reason  for  so  doing,  destroying,  by  fire,  the  steamer  Virginia. 

"  It  is  as  broad  and  undefined  as  the  charge  itself,  involv 
ing  all  the  circumstances  in  which  I  was  placed,  as  respects 
every  possible  use  to  which  the  ship  could  have  been  de 
voted  at  any  time  previous  to  her  destruction.  This  would 
seem  to  invite  an  allusion  to  the  events  which  preceded  the 
contemplated  evacuation  of  Norfolk,  after  which  it  will  be 
seen  I  was  left  no  alternative  but  to  attempt  to  defend 
James  river. 

"  When,  on  the  25th  of  March  last,  I  was  ordered  to  the 
defense  of  the  waters  of  Virginia,  and  to  hoist  my  flag 
on  the  steamer  Virginia,  I  could  scarcely  be  supposed  in 
sensible  to  the  peril  of  reputation  to  which  I  became  ex 
posed,  from  the  extraordinary  and  extravagant  expectations 
in  the  public  mind,  founded  on  ignorance  of  the  character 
of  the  ship,  and  the  recent  brilliant  success  of  Commodore 
Buchanan  under  circumstances  which  could  not  again  be 
looked  for.  The  frigates  of  the  enemy  were  incautiously 
at  anchor  in  Hampton  Koads,  and  the  opportunity  was 
seized  by  that  gallant  officer  with  a  judgment  and  prompt- 


198  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  6$ 

ness  which  ensured  the  glorious  result,  which,  while  it  could 
not  exalt  him  too  highly  in  public  estimation,  unfortunately 
produced  a  false  estimate  of  the  ship,  dangerous  to  the 
reputation  of  his  successor.  From  the  day  of  his  success 
to  the  evacuation  of  Norfolk,  I  do  not  think  that  a  single 
vessel  of  the  enemy  has  anchored  in  Hampton  Eoads,  ex 
cepting  a  few  gun-boats  and  small  transports  lying  either 
under  the  guns  of  the  forts,  or  on  flats  unapproachable  by 
the  Virginia. 

"Yet,  for  the  very  brief  space  of  time  when  the  ship  was 
out  of  dock,  or  not  in  the  hands  of  the  yard,  but  under 
my  command  (thirteen  days  out  of  forty-five)  the  court 
will,  I  may  be  permitted  to  say,  perceive  in  the  evidence 
no  signs  of  indisposition  on  my  part  to  make  her  as  an 
noying  and  destructive  as  possible  to  the  enemy. 

"Aware  that  Hampton  Roads  furnished  me  no  field  for 
important  operations,  I  early  turned  my  thoughts  to  passing 
the  forts  and  striking  unexpectedly  at  some  distant  point, 
say  New  York,  or  Port  Royal  and  Savannah,  and  in  a  letter 
of  the  10th  of  April,  to  the  Secretary,  I  conveyed  my  views 
as  follows  : 

"'I  have  been  aware  from  the  first  that  my  command  is 
dangerous  to  my  reputation,  from  the  expectation  of  the 
public,  founded  on  the  success  of  Commodore  Buchanan, 
and  I  have  looked  to  a  different  field  from  his  to  satisfy 
them. 

"'I  shall  never  find  in  Hampton  Roads  the  opportunity 
my  gallant  friend  found. 

"'There  is  no  chance  for  me  but  to  pass  the  forts  and 
strike  elsewhere,  and  I  shall  be  gratified  by  your  authority 
to  do  so  as  soon  as  the  ship  shall  be  in  a  suitable  condi 
tion  to-do-go.' 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  199 

"It  will  be  perceived  that  this  letter  was  written  under 
the  influence  of  expectations  of  improvement  in  the  con 
dition  of  the  ship,  created  bj  the  letters  received  by  me 
from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  informing  me  of  her  weak 
points,  and  the  changes  in  her  armor  which  were  then  in 
progress.  How  much  these  expectations  were  disappointed 
is  made  manifest  from  the  evidence.  Even  the  designed 
improvements  were  not  fully  effected,  and  at  no  time  did 
the  Virginia  attain  the  power  and  capacity  of  a  sea-going 
vessel,  or  exceed  the  measure  of  usefulness  originally  de 
signed  for  her — that  of  harbor  defense. 

"  When,  in  compliance  with  the  Secretary's  order,  I  con 
sulted  Commodore  Buchanan  on  the  character  and  power 
of  the  ship,  he  expressed  the  distinct  opinion  then,  as  he 
has  testified  here,  that  she  was  unseaworthy,  and  he 
informed  me  then  that  she  was  not  sufficiently  buoyant, 
and  that  in  a  common  sea  she  would  founder. 

"Her  construction  was  such  that  the  moment  the  sea 
struck  her,  the  water  would  rush  into  her  ports. 

"Mr.  Porter,  the  naval  constructor  of  the  ship,  has  testi 
fied  that  he  informed  me  he  had  reported  to  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  that  the  ship  could  not  go  to  sea  with  safety. 
And  such  were  the  radical  defects  of  her  engines,  as  greatly 
to  retard  and  interfere  with  her  operations  even  in  the 
smooth  waters  of  Elizabeth  City  and  Hampton  Koads. 

"The  official  report  of  acting  Chief  Engineer  Kamsay, 
of  the  5th  of  May  (made  part  of  your  record),  is  in  this 
point  so  important  as  to  challenge  special  attention. 

"  Moreover,  it  is  in  evidence  that  on  five  trips  made  from 

Norfolk  to  Hampton,  a  distance  of  but  ten  miles,  the  engines 

failed   twice,    obliging   me,  on   one   occasion,    to   return   to 

Norfolk  to  repair  them ;  and  on  another,  making  it  neces- 

27 


200  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   Otf 

sary  to  work  one  of  her  engines  at  high  pressure,  'just 
managing'  (to  use  the  words  of  the  Chief  Engineer  in  his 
report  of  the  5th  of  May,  to  Lieutenant  Catesby  Jones), 
'  to  reach  her  anchorage  at  Norfolk.'  Under  these  untoward 
circumstances,  I  was  mortified  beyond  measure  by  frequent 
suggestions,  not  only  from  unofficial,  but  high  official  sources,, 
of  important  services  to  be  performed  by  the  Virginia,  found 
ed  on  the  most  exaggerated  ideas  of  her  qualities,  among 
them  the  feasibility  of  passing  the  forts  and  going  into  York 
river  to  assist  the  military  operations  at  the  Peninsula. 
"It  was  while  these  conceptions  formed  the  subject  of 
anxious  reflections  with  me  that  the  Chief  Engineer  volun 
teered  his  report  to  me  of  the  5th  of  May,  in  which  he 
enters  particularly  and  at  length  into  the  subject  of  the  ship's 
capacity.  He  says,  as  to  her  engines,  '  that  from  present 
and  past  experience  he  is  of  opinion  that  they  cannot 
be  relied  on;  that  in  the  two  years'  cruise  of  the  Merrimac 
they  were  continually  breaking  down  when  least  expected, 
and  the  ship  had  to  be  sailed  under  canvas  the  greater 
part  of  the  cruise ;  that  the  engines  gave  out  the  day  before, 
as  he  had  already  reported,  after  running  only  a  few  hours, 
and  as  he  could  not  ensure  their  working  any  length  of 
time,  he  deemed  it  his  duty  to  report,  etc. ;  that  at  the  time 
he  was  ordered  to  the  vessel,  he  ivas  informed  that  it  ivas 
not  the  intention  to  take  the  ship  where  a  delay,  occasioned  by 
a  derangement  in  the  machinery,  would  endanger  her  safety, 
and  that  she  would  always  be  accessible  to  the  Navy  Yard  for 
repairs,  which  was  the  reason  why  he  h:id  deferred  this  re 
port,'  etc.  He  adds  :  '  Each  time  that  we  have  gone  down, 
I  have  had  to  make  repairs,  which  could  not  have  been 
done  aboard  ship  very  well,  or,  if  done  at  all,  would  have 
required  a  great  deal  of  time.' 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  201 

"The  pilots,  too,  my  only  source  of  information  as  to  the 
feasibility  of  carrying  the  ship  past  the  forts  into  York 
river,  report  in  writing  substantially  (their  report  is  of 
record)  that  they  could  not,  with  any  probability  of  success, 
take  the  ship  there  by  night,  and  that  it  would  require  a 
clear  day,  that  they  must  see  the  land,  and  that  if  it  should 
come  on  to  blow,  or  the  weather  be  thick,  there  was  no 
harbor  in  which  they  could  place  her.  They  say,  'If  the 
lights,  light-boats,  and  buoys,  which  were  found  necessary 
for  the  navigation  of  the  channel,  still  existed,  there  would 
be  no  trouble  in  reaching  York  river,  except  so  far  as  the 
enemy  may  have  obstructed  the  way,  for  there  is  plenty 
of  water.  If  the  weather  were  smooth  and  clear,  and  the 
lead  and  compass  could  be  relied  on,  we  could  still  take 
the  Virginia  to  Yorktown.  But  the  lights,  light-boats,  and 
buoys  having  been  removed,  the  compasses  of  the  ship 
being  almost  useless  from  local  attraction,  and  the  lead 
equally  so  by  the  fire  of  the  enemy,  we  have  serious  doubts 
as  to  our  ability  to  carry  the  draft  of  twenty-three  feet 
with  any  reasonable  prospect  of  success.' 

"  And  the  '  extensive  flats,'  say  they,  '  inside  of  York  river, 
on  both  sides,  offer  a  safe  retreat  to  a  large  fleet  from  the 
fire  of  a  vessel  of  this  draft;  and  all  vessels  in  Poquosin 
river,  or  at  anchor  off  Shipping  Point,  are  not  to  be  ap 
proached  by  the  Virginia  nearer  than  four  miles.' 

"That  the  enemy  had  obstructed  the  way  was  plain  to 
view,  from  the  unusual  manner  in  which  they  used  the 
channel  between  the  forts ;  that  they  had  done  so  most 
effectually,  may  be  safely  inferred  from  the  resources  of 
material  and  skill  at  their  command,  and  their  known  in 
dustry  in  their  use.  To  have  attempted  to  pass  this  ob 
structed  channel  in  open  day,  in  full  five  of  both  forts  and 


202  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

all  their  men-of-war,  some  twenty  in  number,  including 
the  Monitor  and  other  iron  vessels  and  steamers  fitted 
for  the  express  purpose  of  running  her  down  (see  the 
testimony  of  Lieutenant  Catesby  Jones),  would  indeed 
have  merited  the  epithet  of  folly,  which,  in  the  opinion  of 
that  gallant  officer,  the  effort  would  have  deserved. 

"Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  I  was  in  command  of  a  ship 
that  could  not  go  to  sea,  nor  even  into  Chesapeake  Bay, 
without  great  hazard  (and  that  without  reference  to  the 
enemy),  and  that  with  a  great  diaft  of  water,  in  narrow 
channels,  she  was  in  a  great  degree  trammeled  by  pilots 
not  reliable,  as  is  clearly  shown  by  the  record  and  the  Se 
cretary's  letters  to  me,  of  the  1st  and  8th  of  April,  on  file, 
thus  depriving  me  of  the  privilege  of  maneuvring  her 
freely,  and  by  my  own  judgment. 

"I  had  nothing  left  me  but  to  be  patient,  to  attempt 
what  I  thought  was  in  the  compass  of  the  ship's  power, 
and  to  carry  out  the  orders  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

"During  the  short  time  she  was  not  in  dock,  or  in  the 
hands  of  the  Navy  Yard  (some  thirteen  days),  it  is  proved 
that  she  went  down  to  the  Roads  and  offered  fight  to  the 
Monitor. 

"  She  covered  the  gun-boats  at  that  time  while  they  made 
prizes.  She  showed  herself  several  times  at  Sewell's  Point, 
giving  the  enemy  the  impression  she  was  ready  for  any 
service.  On  one  occasion  she  drove  the  enemy  off  from 
bombarding  Sewell's  Point.  She  also  kept  the  Eoads  clear 
of  the  enemy's  men-of-war. 

"From  a  letter  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  of  the 
9th  of  April,  enclosing  one  from  General  Lee,  of  the  same 
date,  suggesting  operations  in  the  direction  of  Yorktown, 
I  extract  the  following  paragraph : 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  203 

" '  I  regard  the  Virginia  as  of  the  first  importance  to  the 
safety  of  Norfolk,  and  hence,  though  the  suggestion  of  Gen 
eral  Lee  of  a  dash  at  the  enemy  on  York  river  holds  out 
temptation  to  go  at  him  at  once,  it  should  not  be  made  if 
Norfolk  is  to  be  thereby  exposed  to  capture.' 

"From  another  letter  from  the  Secretary,  of  the  12th 
of  April,  the  following  is  also  extracted  : 

"'No  immediate  necessity  for  your  leaving  the  Eoads 
exists,  and  concurring  with  you  in  the  opinion  you  express, 
that  were  the  Virginia  to  pass  the  forts  Norfolk  would  be 
in  danger  of  immediate  capture,  you  will  not  subject  it  to 
this  hazard  without  the  sanction  of  this  Department.' 

"  This  sanction  was  never  given.  I  will  only  add,  in  this 
connection,  as  evidence  of  my  willingness  to  undertake, 
under  these  adverse  circumstances  and  embarrassments,  any 
hazardous  enterprise  which  the  Government  might  deem 
of  public  service,  an  extract  from  my  reply  to  the  Secre 
tary's  letter  of  the  8th  of  April : 

"'If  the  presence  of  the  Virginia^i  Yorktown  be  deemed 
at  Richmond  of  such  paramount  importance  as  to  call  for 
the  passage  of  the  forts  at  all  hazards,  I  shall,  on  hearing 
from  you  by  telegraph  to  that  effect,  attempt  it  at  all 
hazards.' 

"  And  again,  in  a  letter  of    the  30th   of    April,  I  wrote  : 

" '  I  am  prepared  to  run  any  hazard  with  her  (the  ship), 
under  the  advice  and  direction  of  the  department,  but  in 
view  of  your  instructions  to  me,  am  not  prepared  to  aban 
don  Norfolk  and  Hampton  Roads  for  a  distant  field  of 
action,  and  for  an  object  of  very  doubtful  attainment.' 

"The  foregoing  imperfect  recital  covers  the  events  of 
my  campaign  occurring  before  the  evacuation  of  Norfolk. 
I  rely  on  it  to  vindicate  the  propriety  of  my  motives  and 


204  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

conduct  previous  to  that  event.  As  the  specification  that 
'  the  ship,'  at  the  draft  to  which  she  was,  or  might  have  been 
reduced,  could  have  been  carried  up  James  river  to  a  place 
of  usefulness,  free  from  immediate  danger,  is  designed,  as 
the  Judge  Advocate  avows,  to  conform  with  the  part  of 
the  finding  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry,  already  stated,  that 
she  should  have  been  carried  to  Hog  Island,  in  James  river, 
and  in  her  lightened  condition  employed  there  as  a  war 
vessel,  it  would  seem  that  a  comparison  of  the  prudence 
and  wisdom  of  that  course,  with  the  course  actually  pursued, 
will  exhaust  this  part  of  the  subject,  and  leave  the  court 
under  no  difficulty  of  decision  between  the  two. 

"Now  that  the  Virginia  could  have  been  fought  as  a  war 
vessel  any  where  after  being  lightened  to  twenty  feet  six 
inches,  by  which  her  knuckle  was  exposed,  rests  upon  no 
opinion,  military  or  unmilitary,  that  has  ever  been  ex 
pressed,  except  that  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry.  On  the  con 
trary,  the  testimony  is  unanimous  the  other  way,  including 
that  of  Mr.  Porter,  the  naval  constructor,  and  that  her 
iron  sheathing  when  so  lightened,  though  it  did  extend 
three  feet  six  inches  below  the  water,  (it  is  omitted  from  the 
finding  that  a  considerable  portion  of  it  was  only  one  inch 
thick,  its  original  thickness,  the  additional  covering,  with 
two  additional  inches,  not  extending  the  whole  way),  would 
not  have  protected  her. 

"Then  as  to  the  eligibility  of  Hog  Island  as  a  place  of 
retreat,  it  is  unanimously  condemned  by  every  military 
opinion  which  has  been  expressed  upon  it ;  and  it  is  not  a 
little  remarkable  that  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Court  of 
Inquiry  no  military  opinion  is  asked  at  all  on  this  point. 

"It  rests  on  the  opinion  of  pilots  Parrish  and  Wright 
alone.  TJtey  told  the  court  the  ship  could  have  been  light- 


COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  205 

ened  at  Hog  Island  with  the  same  facility  as  where  she 
was  lightened,  and  that  she  could  have  protected  the  river, 
because  the  enemy  would  have  to  pass  in.  close  reach  of 
her  guns ;  that  is,  we  were  bound  to  lighten  her  some  to 
get  her  up  to  Hog  Island. 

"  She  could  protect  the  river  as  well  at  Hog  Island,  as  the 
enemy's  vessels  would  have  to  pass  her  in  four  hundred 
yards,  within  range  of  her  guns,  and  that  was  deemed  so 
clearly  demonstrative  of  the  superior  elegibility  of  Hog 
Island,  as  the  place  of  resort,  that  the  court  thinks  nothing 
could  have  blinded  our  eyes  to  it  but  the  evacuation  of 
Norfolk,  the  destruction  of  the  Navy  Yard  and  other  public 
property,  added  to  the  hasty  retreat  of  the  military  under 
General  Huger,  leaving  the  batteries  unmanned  and  un 
protected,  no  doubt  conspiring  to  produce  in  the  minds 
of  the  officers  of  the  Virginia  the  necessity  of  her  destruc 
tion  at  the  time,  as  in  their  opinion  the  only  means  left  of 
preventing  her  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
and  seeming  to  have  precluded  the  consideration  of  the 
possibility  of  getting  up  James  river  to  the  point  or  points 
indicated.  Comment  here  is  surely  unnecessary.  Nor  can 
it  be  necessary  to  dwell  on  the  alternative  presented  by  the 
Court  of  Inquiry,  of  destroying  the  ship  at  Hog  Island,  or, 
in  her  then  exposed  condition,  '  making  a  last  dash  at  the 
enemy,'  consisting  of  twenty  sail,  including  the  Minnesota, 
the  Monitor,  and  three  other  iron-clad  steamers,  the  ram 
Vanderbilt,  and  others ;  or  should  we,  after  passing  through 
them,  have  gone  down  to  Cape  Henry,  rounded  the  Horse 
Shoe, — the  lighter  vessels  of  the  enemy,  drawing  sixteen  feet, 
the  while  passing  the  swash  channel  and  reaching  Yorktown 
hours  before  us, — and  come  to  Yorktown  only  to  find  the 
enemy's  vessels  placed  in  safety  above  us,  and  then  with 


206  THE   LIFE   AND    SEEVICES   0^ 

boats  lost  and  provisions  consumed,  have  hoisted  a  flag 
of  distress,  or  flag  of  truce,  and  surrendered  at  discretion  ? 
A  glance  at  the  evidence  will  show  that  the  idea  of  carrying 
the  ship  to  Hog  Island,  and  keeping  her  there  for  defense, 
if  ever  conceived,  could  only  have  been  dismissed  as  vain 
and  futile. 

"Lieutenant  Catesby  Jones  says: 

'"I  think  it  ought  not  to  have  been  done,  because  the 
enemy  was  in  possession  of  the  batteries  above  Hog  Island. 

" '  The  Galena  and  other  gun-boats  were  also  up  the  river. 
There  had  been  batteries  of  our  own  opposite  Hog  Island, 
which  commanded  the  anchorage  which  the  Virginia  would 
have  to  have  taken,  and  if  there  were  no  guns  there,  the 
enemy  could  easily  have  placed  them  there. 

"'The  ship,  with  her  inclined  armor  above  the  water, 
which  at  that  place  we  could  have  had  no  means  of  bring 
ing  below  the  water,  was  not  in  a  condition  to  contend 
against  such  batteries  and  the  gun-boats. 

"'She  would  necessarily  have  to  have  been  at  anchor, 
and  could  not  change  her  position. 

"'We  did  not  have  much  water  on  board,  and  as  the 
water  at  Hog  Island  was  not  fresh,  we  could  not  have 
stayed  there  long. 

" '  The  proper  place  in  James  river  to  which  the  steamer 
should  be  taken  up,  was  a  matter  of  discussion  between 
Commodore  Tattnall  and  myself,  and  he  was  of  opinion 
she  could  be  taken  up  to  Westover,  which  was  above  the 
enemy's  batteries,  in  communication  with  Richmond,  and 
where  there  was  a  good  position  for  batteries  on  shore  to 
assist  us  in  protecting  the  river.' 

"Again  he  says,  speaking  of  the  feasibility  of  sinking 
her  to  her  original  draft  at  Hog  Island : 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  207 

"  *  She  could  not,  by  any  means  in  our  power,  have  been 
sunk  to  her  depth  of  twenty-three  feet,  and  she  be  preserved 
as  a  steamer  of  war.  I  think  there  was  water  enough 
to  sink  her  to  twenty-three  feet  at  Hog  Island,  but  of  this 
I  am  not  certain.  If  we  had  put  water  in  her  it  would 
have  put  out  the  fires,  and  drowned  the  magazine  and 
shell  room,  and  any  idea  of  aid  from  the  shore  in  sinking 
her  was  forbidden,  for  to  say  nothing  of  the  hostile  occu 
pation  of  both  shores,  we  had  only  two  small  boats  to 
the  ship,  carrying  fifteen  men  each  in  smooth  water.' 
Surely  this  is  sufficient. 

"It  only  remains  to  consider  briefly  the  course  actually 
adopted;  whether  it  was  prudent  or  culpable,  either  in  its 
conception  or  in  its  attempted  execution  under  the  cir 
cumstances. 

"The  plan  of  taking  the  ship  up  to  a  narrow  part  of 
James  river  and  there  assuming  a  defensive  point,  was 
by  no  means  a  sudden  thought  with  me,  dictated  by  the 
hasty  and  unexpectedly  early  evacuation  of  Norfolk. 

"After  the  determination  to  retreat  from  Yorktown,  and  as 
a  consequence  of  that  measure  to  evacuate  Norfolk,  whereby 
both  banks  of  the  James  would  necessarily  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  it  had  occurred  to  me,  as  the  best 
means  of  defending  the  river  to  which  I  had  been  specially 
ordered,  and  had  been  communicated  to  the  gallant  officers 
near  me,  who  shared  my  confidence  and  counsel. 

"The  attempt  was  precipitated,  it  is  true,  by  the  unex 
pected  advance  of  the  enemy  on  Norfolk. 

"The  last  orders  I  received  from  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  in  regard  to  the  Virginia  were  by  telegraph  on  the 
5th  and  6th  of  May,  four  days  before  the  abandonment 

of  Norfolk. 

28 


208  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

"  The  effect  of  both  was  to  direct  me  to  protect  Norfolk  as 
well  as  James  river,  and  if  possible  to  prevent  the  enemy 
from  ascending  it.  As  to  this  it  may  be  here  remarked,  as  I 
had  signified  to  the  Secretary  my  inability,  with  the  five 
vessels  under  my  command,  to  prevent  this,  I  wrote  him 
on  the  21st  of  April  that  his  gunboats  could  go  from  the 
forts  to  Newport  News,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  with  perfect 
impunity,  and  that  to  prevent  misconstruction,  I  wished 
it  understood  that  I  could  not  prevent  it,  or  their  army 
from  crossing  except  so  far  as  the  force  of  steamers  I  had 
placed  in  the  river  could  dp  so. 

"On  the  9th  of  May,  the  day  before  the  evacuation, 
a  conference  of  officers  of  the  army  and  navy  was  held, 
by  suggestion  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  (in  which 
Commodore  Hollins,  a  member  of  the  court,  participated), 
in  which  it  was  decided  that  the  Virginia  should  remain 
at  Sewell's  Point,  to  cover  Norfolk,  until  after  the  evacu 
ation.  Commodore  Hollins  has  testified  to  what  occurred 
in  that  conference. 

"  He  says  that  it  was  expected,  in  the  last  resort,  the  ship 
would  be  taken  up  James  river  to  a  point  of  safety  for 
herself,  and  to  protect  Richmond;  and  when  asked  where 
he  was  to  have  gone  to  find  such  a  place,  he  answered,  'I 
do  not  know  anything  further  than  what  the  pilots  said, 
up  to  Harrison's  bar;'  and  when  asked,  if  I  had  not  been 
able  to  take  her  up  there,  what  disposition  I  was  expected 
to  make  of  her,  he  replied,  that  he  did  not  take  that  into 
consideration  at  the  time,  as  he  thought  it  was  a  thing 
which  could  be  done,  from  what  the  pilots  said ;  and  it 
is  in  proof  that  on  the  9th,  the  day  before  the  unexpected 
evacuation  on  the  10th,  I  consulted  with  Captain  Lee,  the 
Commandant  at  the  Navy  Yard,  as  to  the  best  mode  of 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  209 

taking  her  up  without  a  loss  of  ballast,  and  with  a  view 
to  having,  the  use  of  her  ballast  after  we  got  up. 

"We  arranged  that  I  would  take  the  two  empty  water 
tanks,  two  large  floats,  and  two  launches,  and  not  thinking 
that  the  enemy  would  be  in  Norfolk  the  next  day,  I  pre 
pared  to  return  to  the  Navy  Yard  for  all  these  things. 
My  plan  was  to  place  the  ship  in  a  narrow  part  of  the 
river,  in  fresh  water,  above  the  batteries  of  the  enemy 
on  either  shore  (both  being  in  their  hands),  in  easy  com 
munication  with  Richmond,  whence  her  supplies  might  be 
drawn,  and  with  the  shore,  where  batteries  of  our  own  might 
protect  and  cooperate  with  her  and  material  might  be  ob 
tained  to  sink  her  to  the  required  draft,  and  there  to  defend 
the  river.  What  might  have  been  the  effect  if  the  plan  had 
succeeded  (particularly  in  the  present  attitude  of  the  oppos 
ing  armies),  must  be  left  to  conjecture ;  at  all  events  it  was 
the  best  course  that  suggested  itself,  in  trying  and  difficult 
circumstances,  and  I  have  not  yet  been  taught  by  any  criti 
cism  that  it  has  encountered  that  a  better  could  be  devised. 

"  The  plan,  however,  in  its  execution,  necessarily  depended 
on  two  conditions — the  one  that  the  ship  could  be  lightened 
to  eighteen  feet  draft ;  the  other,  that  with  that  draft  she 
could  be  carried  as  high  up  as  the  plan  required. 

"It  is  said  the  first  of  these  conditions  was  impossible, 
and  that  I  did  not  take  the  requisite  means  to  inform 
myself  that  it  was  so. 

"  I  have  to  reply,  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  in  his 
letter  of  March  25th  assigning  me  to  the  ship  and  advising 
me  whom  to  consult  about  her,  says : 

"'Your  Flag-officer,  Lieutenant  Jones,  is  said  to  have 
fought  the  ship  gallantly,  and  he  is  thoroughly  informed 
dboid  her.' 


210  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

"Constructor  Porter  bears  the  same  testimony  to  Lieu 
tenant  Jones'  thorough  information  about  her,  and  that 
officer  was  not  only  then  of  opinion,  but  swears  to  his 
belief  now,  that  she  could  be  lightened  to  eighteen  feet ; 
and  this  was  one  main  source  of  information  on  which  I 
relied. 

"To  the  Constructor, — Mr.  Porter, — I  applied  through 
Pay-master  Semple  for  information  on  the  subject,  who 
swears  positively  that  he  obtained  the  Constructor's  written 
report  that  the  ship  could  be  lightened  to  even  seventeen 
feet,  and  would  have  stability  to  that  draft  in  James  river. 
Now,  whether  Mr.  Semple  misunderstood  Mr.  Porter  or 
not,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  nature  of  the  reply  com 
municated  to  me,  through  a  reliable  source,  upon  which, 
in  the  nature  of  things,  having  no  knowledge  of  my  own, 
I  was  obliged  to  rely.  Nor  will  the  positive  and  reliable 
testimony  thus  given  be  much  shaken  by  Mr.  Porter's  flip 
pant  answer  to  the  question  why  he  did  not  give  full  in 
formation — '  That  I  never  spent  a  thought  on  the  subject — I 
was  busy — I  supposed  the  officers  knew  all  what  they  were 
about,  and  I  gave  all  the  information  that  was  asked  of  me.' 

"  It  will  be  recollected  he  was  apprised  of  the  meditated 
disposition  of  the  ship,  and  had  been  asked  for  written 
official  information  on  the  subject. 

"Then  could  the  ship  be  carried  to  Harrison's  bar  with 
eighteen  feet,  and  did  I  resort  to  the  proper  source  of  in 
formation  on  the  point  whether  she  could  be  or  not? 

"I  had  been  early  warned  against  the  pilots,  yet  with 
no  charts  accessible,  and  none  of  the  officers  having  any 
knowledge  of  the  sounding  of  the  river,  on  what  else  could 
I  rely  ? 

"As  early  as  the  8th  of  April  the  Secretary  writes  to  me: 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  211 

"'You  are  very  much  in  the  hands  of  your  pilots.  I 
am  convinced  they  might  have  placed  the  ship  nearer  to 
the  Minnesota  in  the  late  engagement  than  they  did,  and 
that  they  erred  from  a  high  sense  of  their  responsibility 
only.' 

''But  there  is  ground  for  the  belief  that  a  much  darker 
stain  is  attached  to  their  conduct. 

"It  is  significant  that  the  statements  of  a  number  of 
witnesses,  embarked  in  a  common  business,  on  an  important 
inquiry  should  be  found  altogether  so  wholly  destitute  of 
the  traces  of  sincerity  and  truth ;  and  when  it  appears  that 
an  object  was  to  be  attained  by  such  means,  it  is  hard  to 
resist  the  conclusion  of  complicity  and  combination  to  at 
tain  it.  That  object  would  seem  to  have  been  the  destruc 
tion  of  the  ship,  rather  than  to  go  with  her  beyond  the 
forts  or  up  James  river,  in  the  presence  of  the  enemy's  fleet. 

"For  without  proceeding  with  the  dissection  of  so  much 
tergiversation  and  falsehood,  '  experimentum  in  corpore  vile,' 
it  is  proved  as  irrefragably  as  anything  can  be  established 
by  human  testimony,  that  when  the  destination  of  the 
ship  seemed  to  be  past  the  forts  and  up  York  river,  they 
were  pressing  in  their  representations  to  all  the  officers 
who  have  testified,  that  they  could  carry  the  ship  up  to 
Harrison's  bar  with  eighteen  feet  water ;  and  when  that 
project  seemed  to  be  abandoned,  and  the  prospect  was 
that  the  ship,  when  lightened  to  that  draft,  would  be  car 
ried  up  James  river,  perhaps  into  the  presence  of  the 
enemy,  they  permitted,  nay,  encouraged  the  lightening  to 
proceed  in  their  presence,  until  she  became  helpless,  and 
then  surprised  her  officers  with  the .  declaration  that  they 
were  unable  to  carry  her  up  at  the  draft  of  eighteen  feet, 
to  which  it  was  proposed  to  reduce  her,  in  the  then  present 


212  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

state  of  winds  and  tides,  a  qualification  which  they  had 
never  before  expressed. 

"And  they  now  here  falsely  declare  that  by  the  general 
understanding  of  the  officers,  the  ceasing  to  lighten  the 
ship  was  owing  to  the  discovery  that  she  could  not  be  re 
duced  to  eighteen  feet,  when  it  is  established  beyond  doubt 
or  cavil  that  no  such  impression  prevailed  among  them, 
and  that  it  was  owing  simply  and  solely  to  their  own  sud 
den  and  unexpected  announcement  that  she  could  not 
ascend  the  river  with  that  draft. 

"They  are  convicted,  too,  by  several  unimpeachable  wit 
nesses,  of  the  declaration  (in  the  teeth  of  their  disclaimer 
here,  after  it  was  known  that  the  attempt  would  be  made 
to  ascend  the  river,  the  enemy's  fleet  having  gone  up,)  that 
nothing  remained  to  do  but  to  abandon  the  ship  and  de 
stroy  her;  one  of  them  expressing  to  one  witness  his 
opinion  of  the  hardship  that  they, — the  pilots, — with  depen 
dent  families,  should  be  exposed  to  the  dangers  probably 
to  be  encountered  in  the  ship. 

"He  must  be  a  savage  judge,  indeed,  who  would  visit 
me  with  a  penalty  for  the  fraudulent  impositions  practiced 
on  me  by  these  men. 

"The  attempt  to  ascend  the  river  (frustrated  by  the 
treachery  to  which  I  have  alluded,  and  resulting  in  the 
ship's  destruction,)  was  undoubtedly  hastened  beyond  ex 
pectation. 

"On  the  9th  it  was  supposed  that  the  evacuation  and 
removal  of  the  public  property  would  occupy  a  week  or 
more,  during  which  I  was  to  cover  the  evacuation,  and,  so 
far  as  might  be,  prevent  the  enemy's  ascent. 

"On  the  10th,  information  of  our  design  having  been 
traitorously  conveyed  to  the  enemy,  he  was  in  full  march 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  213 

in  force  on  Norfolk.  The  City,  Navy  Yard,  and  batteries 
were  abandoned,  and  the  naval  and  military  force  had 
retired. 

"  Nothing  remained  but  still,  under  increased  embarrass 
ments,  to  prosecute  my  original  design.  It  was  defeated 
by  no  fault  of  mine,  but  it  is  shoAvn  beyond  dispute  that 
from  the  officers  who  commanded  and  superintended  the 
lightening  of  the  ship,  to  the  crew  who  went  to  the  work 
with  a  cheer — in  the  work  itself,  in  the  destruction  of  the 
ship,  in  the  landing  and  retreat  of  the  crew,  all  was  order, 
deliberation,  and  energy.  And  any  assumption  to  the  con 
trary  is  not  only  unsupported,  but  is  in  the  teeth  of  -every 
thing  that  has  been  proved  in  any  stage  of  this  cause. 

"There  is  a  charge  of  'improvident  conduct'  in  lightening 
the  steamer  at  the  bight  of  Craney  Island,  instead  of  taking 
her  up  James  river,  and  there  lightening  her  when  the  ne 
cessity  for  doing  so  arose,  and  to  the  extent  of  that  necessity. 

"It  is  easily  disposed  of.  The  ascent,  to  be  successful, 
required  that  the  lightening  of  the  ship  should  have  been 
done,  not  in,  but  out  of  the  presence  of  the  enemy — a 
result  which  could  more  probably  be  attained  by  lightening 
her  at  once,  where  she  was,  instead  of  being  probably 
compelled  in  the  ascent  to  carry  out  the  design  in  his  sight. 
Other  reasons  might  be  given,  but  this  seems  sufficient. 

"Again,  some  question  has  been  made  as  to  the  place 
where  the  ship  was  abandoned  and  destroyed.  The  best 
information  I  could  get  recommended  that  as  the  easiest 
place  of  retreat.  It  is  in  proof,  by  the  Secretary  of  War, 
that  the  danger  was,  when  both  shores  became  open  to 
the  enemy,  that  he  would  pass  his  forces  over  to  the 
south  side  and  intercept  retreat  by  the  southern  bank. 

"  In  that  view  time  was  precious, — the  landing  should  be 


214  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

effected  at  once.  The  result  was  that  the  retreat  of  the 
crew  was  successful,  and  in  thirty-six  hours'  time  they  had 
reached  Drewry's  Bluff,  ready  to  cooperate,  as  they  did, 
in  the  gallant  defense  made  at  that  place. 

"  Thus  perished  the  Virginia  !  and  with  her  many  high 
flown  hopes  of  naval  supremacy  and  success.  That  de 
nunciation,  loud  and  deep,  should  follow  in  the  wake  of 
such  an  event,  might  be  expected  from  the  excited  mass 
who,  on  occasions  of  vast  public  exigency,  make  their  wishes 
the  measure  of  their  expectations,  and  recognize  in  public 
men  no  criterion  of  merit  but  perfect  success.  But  he 
who  worthily  aspires  to  a  part  in  great  and  serious  affairs, 
must  be  unawed  by  the  clamor,  looking  to  the  right-judging 
few  for  present  support,  and  patiently  waiting  for  the  calmer 
time  when  reflection  shall  assume  a  general  sway,  and  by 
the  judgment  of  all  full  justice,  though  tardy,  will  be  done 
to  his  character,  motives,  and  conduct. 

"Respectfully  submitted, 

"J.  TATTNALL."* 

The  testimony  of  the  witnesses  and  the  statements  of 
parties  being  all  before  the  court,"  it  was  cleared  for  delib 
eration.  After  mature  consideration  the  court  unanimously 
found  as  follows : 

"That  the  first  specification  of  the  first  charge  is  not 
proved. 

"  That  the  second  specification  of  the  first  charge  is  not 
proved. 

*  Note  by  Flag-officer  Tattnall : 

The  testimony  of  two  of  the  Lieutenants  of  the  Virginia, — J.  T.  Wood  and  Charles 
King,— was  not  taken  by  the  Court  Martial,  owing  to  their  unavoidable  absence.  They 
had  testified,  however,  before  the  Court  of  Inquiry  that  they  approved  of  the  effort  to 
take  the  ship  up  the  James  river,  and  that  her  destruction  was  the  best  disposition  that 
could  have  been  made  of  her. 

The  testimony  and  witnesses  before  the  Court  Martial  and  Court  of  Inquiry  were  the 
same,  excepting  that  the  Secretary  of  War  and  Surgeon  Phillips  did  not  testify  before  the 
Court  of  Inquiry. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  215 

"And  that  the  accused  is  not  guilty  of  the  first  charge. 

"  That  the  first  specification  of  the  second  charge  is  not 
proved. 

"That  the  second  specification  of  the  second  charge  is 
not  proved. 

"And  that  the  accused  is  not  guilty  of  the  second  charge. 

"That  the  specification  of  the  third  charge  is  proved. 

"  And  that  the  accused  is  not  guilty  of  the  third  charge. 

"The  court  do  further  find  that  the  accused  had,  while 
in  command  of  the  Virginia,  and  previous  to  the  evacuation 
of  Norfolk,  thrown  down  the  gage  of  battle  to  the  enemy's 
fleet  in  Hampton  Roads,  and  that  the  enemy  had  declined 
to  take  it  up ;  that  the  day  before  Norfolk  was  evacuated, 
a  consultation,  at  the  instance  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy, 
was  held  by  a  joint  commission  of  the  navy  and  army  offi 
cers,  as  to  the  best  disposition  to  be  made  of  the  ship  ;  that 
the  accused  was  in  favor  of  passing  Fortress  Monroe  and 
taking  the  ship  into  York  river,  or  of  running  before  Savan 
nah  with  her ;  that  in  this  he  was  overruled  by  the  council, 
who  advised  that  she  should  remain  on  this  side  of  Fortress 
Monroe  for  the  protection  of  Norfolk  and  Richmond  ;  and 
that  in  accordance  with  this  advice,  she  proceeded  to  regu 
late  her  movements ;  that  after  the  evacuation  of  Norfolk, 
Westover,  on  James  river,  became  the  most  suitable  position 
for  her  to  occupy ;  that  while  in  the  act  of  lightening  her 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  her  up  to  that  point,  the  pilots, 
for  the  first  time,  declared  their  inability  to  take  her  up, 
even  though  her  draft  should  be  reduced  to  its  minimum 
of  eighteen  feet ;  that  by  the  evacuation  of  Norfolk  and 
the  abandonment  of  our  forts  below  Westover,  both  banks 
of  the  James  river,  below  that  point,  were  virtually  given 

up  to  the  enemy  ;    that  the  ship  being  thus  cut  off  from 
29 


216  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

Norfolk  and  Bickmond,  was  deprived  of  all  outward  sources 
of  supply,  save  those  of  the  most  precarious  and  uncertain 
character ;  that  her  store  of  provisions  would  not  last  for 
more  than  three  weeks ;  that,  when  lightened,  she  was 
made  vulnerable  to  the  attacks  of  the  enemy ;  and  that 
after  having  been  lightened,  there  were  no  available  means 
of  bringing  her  down  to  her  proper  draft  and  fighting  trim  ; 
and  that  she  had  but  two  small  boats,  each  capable  of 
landing  not  more  than  fifteen  or  eighteen  men  at  a  time, 
even  in  smooth  water. 

"Such  being  the  facts  and  circumstances  under  the  in 
fluence  of  which  the  Virginia  found  herself  after  the  eva 
cuation  of  Norfolk,  it  was,  in  the  opinion  of  the  court? 
only  necessary  for  the  enemy  to  continue  to  refuse  battle, 
as  he  had  done  since  it  was  first  offered  by  Captain  Tattnall 
early  in  April,  and  thence  forward  to  keep  a  strict  watch 
about  the  Virginia,  in  order,  when  her  provisions  were 
exhausted,  to  make  her  his  prize,  and  her  crew  his  prisoners. 
"  Being  thus  situated,  the  only  alternative,  in  the  opinion 
of  the  court,  was  to  abandon  and  burn  the  ship  then  and 
there  ;  which,  in  the  judgment  of  the  court,  was  deliberately 
and  wisely  done  by  order  of  the  accused. 

"  Wherefore,   the   court   do   award   to   the    said   Captain 
Josiah  Tattnall  an  honorable  acquittal. 

"  L.  BOUSSEAU,  Capt.,  FRANKLIN  BUCHANAN,  Capt., 
"  GEO.  N.  HOLLINS,  Capt.,  BOB'T  G.  BOBB,  Com'der, 
"M.  MASON,  Com'der,  EBEN  FARRAND,  Com'der, 
"A.  B.  FAIRFAX,  Com'der,  M.  F.  MAURY,  Com'der, 
"  GEORGE  MINOR,  Com'der,  WM.  L.  MAURY,  Lieut., 
"BOB'T  B.  PEGRAM,  Lieut.,  BOB'T  OULD,  Judge  Advocate." 
This  finding  of  the  court  was  accepted  by  the  public  as 
a  truthful,  generous,  noble   tribute  to  the   courage,   enter- 


COMMODOKE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  217 

prize,  judgment,  and  professional  abilities  of  Flag-officer 
Tattnall,  and  as  a  just  and  severe  rebuke  to  the  Court  of 
Inquiry.  Coming  from  a  detail  of  officers  of  such  high 
repute,  this  vindication  was  most  grateful  to  the  Commo 
dore,  who  valued  his  professional  reputation  far  beyond 
life  itself. 

As  indicating  the  general  satisfaction  when  the  judgment 
of  the  court  was  announced,  we  clip  the  following  from  a 
leading  contemporaneous  journal : 

"While  the  friends  of  our  brave  old  Commodore  have 
never  entertained  the  slightest  uneasiness  concerning  the 
judgment  of  the  Naval  Court  Martial,  convened  at  his  sug 
gestion,  yet  the  circumstances  of  his  acquittal  are  such 
as  to  occasion  a  peculiar  degree  of  satisfaction.  No  honest, 
well-balanced  mind  could,  under  the  circumstances,  have 
arrived  at  any  other  conclusion ;  still  officers  of  the  navy, 
distinguished  for  their  long  service,  had,  from  motives  of 
their  own,  cast  a  stain  upon  his  well-earned  reputation. 
It  was  this  that  caused  him  to  appeal  to  a  still  higher 
tribunal,  and  demand  its  judgment.  That  judgment  has 
been  given,  and  in  a  manner  not  only  vindicatory,  but 
highly  complimentary  of  himself.  There  can  be  no  appeal 
from  or  questioning  of  the  decision  of  such  men  as  Kous- 
seau,  the  oldest  naval  commander  in  the  service  ;  Buchanan, 
who  commanded  the  Virginia  in  her  great  exploits  in  Hamp 
ton  Koads  and  knew  well  her  structure  and  power ;  Pegram, 
the  most  gallant  seaman  of  his  day,  together  with  Maury, 
and  Mason,  and  Fairfax,  and  others. 

"We  have,  from  the  beginning,  regarded  this  attempt  to 
depreciate  the  reputation  of  Commodore  Tattnall  as  the 
result  of  ignorance  on  the  part  of  some,  and  of  jealousy 


218  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

on  the  part  of  others.  We,  therefore,  rejoice  that  the  truth 
has  been  vindicated,  and  his  fair  fame  relieved  of  every 
breath  of  suspicion  against  it." 

Of  the  fact  that  true  friendship  "standeth  stiffly  in 
storms"  Commodore  Tattnall,  during  this  period  of  trial, 
had  abundant  and  most  pleasing  proof.  His  friend,  the 
Honorable  John  E.  Ward,  late  Minister  to  China,  who  was 
with  him  at  the  affair  of  the  Pei-ho,  and  on  terms  of  in 
timacy,  repaired  to  Richmond  and  by  his  counsel  and  legal 
ability  rendered  most  valuable  assistance  during  the  pro 
gress  of  the  trial.  From  men,  good  and  great,  came  ex 
pressions  of  hope  and  cordial  wishes  for  the  vindication 
of  his  fair  fame.  Among  them  we  select  one  which  will 
be  read  with  the  deepest  interest : 

"  SUMMERVILLE,  7th  July,  1862. 
"  MY  DEAR  COMMODORE  : 

"  I  have  often  thought  it  was  a  cruel  necessity  that  forced 
a  man  like  you,  enjoying  a  continental  reputation,  to  leave 
your  situation  in  a  great  and  eminent  command  for  the 
service  of  a  third  or  fourth-rate  power.  You  certainly  gave 
a  strong  proof  of  that  Nostalgia  which  confers  on  the  spot 
of  one's  birth  an  interest  beyond  the  value  of  riches,  when 
you  threw  up  one  of  the  proudest  situations  under  the  sun 
to  take  your  part  with  a  people  that  could  offer  you  nothing 
better  than  a  cock-boat  fleet.  Yet  the  sacrifice  was  made, 
and  you  gave  up  for  a  sentiment  your  rank  in  the  United 
States  Navy ;  nor  can  I  conceive  of  a  greater  instance  of 
self-denial.  With  such  thoughts,  judge  what  my  feelings 
were  when  I  heard  that  you  were  reproached  by  the  people 
for  whom  you  had  sacrificed  so  much,  for  not  fulfilling  the 
expectations  of  their  foolish  self-conceit  by  making  one 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  219 

steamboat,  however  good,  a  match  for  a  whole  navy.  My 
opinion  is  worth  very  little.  Age  has  tamed  my  voice  and 
arm,  and  I  have  lived  to  bear  many  things  that  I  would 
rather  never  have  lived  to  see ;  but  I  cannot  refrain  from 
giving  vent  to  my  feelings  so  far  as  to  tell  you,  my  dear 
Commodore,  how  deeply  I  feel  the  injury  done  you,  and 
sympathize  in  your  virtuous  indignation.  I  do  not  allow 
myself,  for  a  moment,  to  doubt  of  your  complete  justifica 
tion  before  the  court  where  you  are  carried,  and  before  the 
bar  of  the  public.  But  the  attempt  to  tarnish  your  fame 
by  the  notoriety  of  a  trial,  is  an  offense  hard  to  atone  for. 
I  anticipate  a  complete  triumph  for  you,  but  that  is  but 
poor  satisfaction  for  the  impertinence  of  a  public  accusation 
against  a  general  benefactor. 

"Accept,  my  dear  Commodore,  the  heartfelt  sympathy 
of  a  friend  in  that  of  yours  truly, 

"  J.  L.  PETIGEU." 

In  narrating  the  story  of  this  trying  period  in  the  life 
of  Commodore  Tattnall  we  have  carefully  refrained  from 
harsh  comment.  We  preferred  to  present  the  facts  as  they 
existed,  and  a  narrative  of  the  events  as  they  transpired. 
Grievous  were  the  responsibilities  devolved  upon  those 
charged  with  the  administration  of  the  departments  of  the 
Confederate  Government ;  and,  in  some  instances,  the  back 
was  unsuited  to  the  burthen.  But  let  that  pass.  Enough 
for  us  to  know  that  this  brave  Georgian, — the  most  dis 
tinguished  that  his  State  ever  committed  to  the  winds  and 
waves  of  old  ocean, — a  man  and  an  officer  of  whom  any 
people  might  justly  be  proud, — passed  through  this  furnace 
unscathed,  and  without  the  smell  of  fire  upon  his  profes 
sional  garments. 


CHAPTEK  SIXTEENTH. 

Return  to  Savannah.  Changed  condition  of  affairs.  Relieved  of  the 
command  afloat.  Official  report  to  Mr.  Mallory  of  naval  matters  at 
the  Savannah  station.  The  iron-clad  Atlanta.  Commander  Page. 
Lieutenant  Webb.  History  of  the  Atlanta.  Her  engagement  with 
the  Weehawken  and  Ndhant^  and  capture  by  them. 

Upon  the  promulgation  of  the  finding  of  the  Court  Mar 
tial,  Commodore  Tattnall  returned  to  Savannah  and  resumed 
command  of  its  naval  defenses.  The  entire  coast  of  Geor 
gia  was  in  the  possession  of  the  Federals  who  could  enter 
and  depart  from  its  sounds  and  inlets  at  pleasure.  After 
the  fall  of  Fort  Pulaski  the  defensive  line  for  the  protection 
of  the  water  approaches  to  Savannah  was  materially  con 
tracted.  There  was  comparatively  little  that  the  navy  could 
accomplish.  It  lacked  both  space  and  opportunity  for 
operations,  and  was  deficient  in  vessels  of  war  capable  of 
important  service.  Keenly  must  the  Commodore  have  felt 
the  change  of  circumstances,  but  he  had  made  the  sacrifice 
in  the  name  of  his  State  and  no  murmer  escaped  his  lips. 
He  had  surrendered  position,  pay,  yes,  everything  that 
was  attractive  in  the  old  navy,  in  response  to  what  he 
conceived  his  highest  duty,  and  no  one  ever  heard  him 
utter  a  word  of  regret  at  the  step  he  had  taken.  He  who 
had  been  accustomed  to  commands  which  an  Admiral  might 
envy,  who  time  arid  again  had  attracted  the  gaze  of  the 
world  by  the  nobility  of  his  impulses  and  the  valor  of  his 
deeds,  was  now  busying  himself  with  what  his  friend,  Mr. 
Petigru,  denominated  "nothing  better  than  a  cock-boat 
fleet."  Day  by  day  his  greatness  was  expended  upon  little 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  221 

things,  but  he  made  the  most  of  them  and  pursued  the 
even  tenor  of  his  way  with  patient  endurance.  Everywhere, 
by  the  officers  with  whom  he  associated,  by  the  men  whom 
he  commanded,  and  by  the  citizens  among  whom  he  dwelt, 
was  he  regarded  with  the  most  profound  respect  and 
veneration. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  1863,  came  an.  order  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy  relieving  him  from  the  command 
afloat,  and  limiting  him  to  the  shore  command  at  the  Savan 
nah  station.  There  was  no  cause  for  this ;  and  no  explana 
tion  for  it  can  be  found  save  that  it  was  on  a  par  with 
many  ungenerous  and  foolish  acts  committed  by  Mr.  Mai- 
lory,  who  always  craved  the  execution  of  wonderful  things, 
expected  surprizing  achievements,  and  yet  possessed  not 
the  intellect  to  suggest  or  the  nerve  to  order  them. 

In  justice  to  Commodore  Tattnall  we  here  introduce  an 
official  communication  to  which,  so  far  as  we  can  learn, 
no  suitable  reply  was  ever  made.  The  subsequent  unfor 
tunate  fate  of  the  Atlanta  sadly  demonstrated  the  wisdom 
of  the  views  entertained  by  the  Flag-officer : 

"  CONFEDERATE  STATES  NAVAL  DEPARTMENT, 

"SAVANNAH,  GA.,  April  24th,  1863. 
"Honorable  S.  K.  MALLORY, 

"  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Eichmond,  Va.  : 
"  SIR  :  In  obedience  to  your  order  of  the  24th  March, 
ultimo,  to  transfer  the  command  afloat  on  this  station  to 
Commander  Page,  I  telegraphed  to  that  officer,  then  in 
Charleston  on  duty,  to  return  to  Savannah,  and  transferred 
to  him  verbally,  on  the  31st  of  March,  and  more  formally 
in  writing  the  next  morning,  the  command  afloat,  with  all 
the  vessels,  excepting  the  steamer  Sampson,  retained  as  a 


222  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OP 

receiving  ship,  together  with  all  the  officers  and  men  of 
the  station,  excepting  Assistant  Surgeon  Sandford,  and  Lieu 
tenant  Morris,  in  charge  of  the  rendezvous  and  at  present 
acting  as  ordnance  officer. 

"At  the  time  of  the  transfer  all  the  vessels,  the  Georgia 
excepted,  were  lying  at  Thunderbolt,  near  the  head  of 
Warsaw  Sound. 

"  In  view  of  the  time  and  manner  of  my  removal  from 
the  command  afloat,  it  becomes  my  duty  to  review  and  place 
on  record  at  the  Navy  Department  the  facts  which  con 
trolled  the  movements  of  the  Atlanta  since  her  transfer  to 
my  command. 

"On  resuming  the  command  of  this  station,  in  August 
last,  I  found  but  two  armed  vessels,  the  Savannah,  a  small 
steamer  of  one  gun,  with  her  engines  on  deck,  and  the 
floating  battery  Georgia,  of  whose  inefficiency  you  were 
informed.  Finding  that  the  obstructions  placed  in  the  Sa 
vannah  river  were  too  distant  from  the  land  batteries  to  be 
adequately  protected  by  them,  I  placed  the  Georgia  at 
that  point,  where  she  could  alone  be  of  service.  I  took 
the  precaution  to  write  Major-General  Pemberton,  com 
manding  this  military  department,  and  Brigadier-General 
Mercer,  commanding  the  District  of  Georgia,  to  accompany 
and  aid  me  in  selecting  the  position  for  the  Georgia,  and 
the  one  selected  had  their  concurrence.  The  position  was 
an  exposed  one,  as  she  could  receive  no  aid  from  the  bat 
teries,  and  the  enemy  could  approach  to  within  two  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  of  her  by  both  the  north  and  south  chan 
nels  ;  the  former  having  eighteen  feet  at  high  water  and 
the  latter  twelve  feet.  I  informed  Lieutenant  Commanding 
J.  P.  Jones  that  should  his  vessel  be  attacked,  I  should 
hoist  my  flag  on  board  of  her  and  share  her  fate. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  223 

"  On  resuming  the  command  of  the  station,  I  found  the 
steamer  Atlanta  approaching  completion.  Mr.  Tift,  who 
was  in  charge  of  her  construction,  called  at  my  office  and 
showed  me  his  authority  from  yourself  giving  him  the  sole 
control  of  her  construction,  and,  in  reply  to  a  question,  he 
stated  that  it  was  intended  that  the  commandant  of  the 
station  should  have  nothing  to  do  with  her.  I,  of  course, 
abstained  from  interfering  in  any  shape  whatever. 

"After  the  transfer  of  the  vessel  to  me,  no  time  was  lost 
in  preparing  her  for  service. 

"An  unexpected  delay  was  caused,  however,  by  her  leak 
ing  through  her  sponsons,  and  some  additional  arrange 
ments  were  found  to  be  essential  in  the  engineer's  depart 
ment  ;  all  of  which  was  reported  to  you. 

"In  placing  the  obstructions  in  the  south  channel  of  the 
Savannah  river  the  military  engineer  had  informed  me  that 
he  had  so  arranged  a  portion  of  them  that  it  could  be 
removed  in  two  hours  to  permit  the  egress  of  the  Atlanta. 

"The  Atlanta  being  now  ready,  I  determined  to  attack 
the  enemy's  vessels  in  Warsaw  and  Ossabaw  sounds  on 
the  first  high  spring  tide,  that  being  the  only  time,  owing 
to  her  great  draft  of  water,  that  the  ship  could  get  out 
of  the  river.  I  sent  Commander  McBlair  to  arrange  with 
the  engineer-officer  the  day  and  hour  for  the  opening  of 
the  passage,  and  dropped  the  Atlanta  down  to  the  obstruc 
tions.  I  was  doomed,  however,  to  a  bitter  disappointment, 
the  arrangements  made  by  the  engineer  proving  a  total 
failure ;  all  of  which  was  circumstantially  reported  to  you 
in  my  communication  of  the  9th  February  last. 

"It  took  one  month  before  the  engineer  cleared  the 
passage  for  me,  and  I  then  prepared  to  use  the  next  spring 

tide,  occurring  on  the  4th  of   February  last. 
30 


224  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES   OF 

"Several  days,  however,  before  this  high  tide,  and  when 
the  Atlanta  could  not  leave  the  Savannah  river,  the  enemy 
reinforced  his  squadron  in  Ossabaw  sound  with  one  of  his 
monitor  steamers,  and  attacked  Genesis'  Point  Batterv.  The 
distance  of  this  point  from  the  Atlanta's  anchorage  in  the  Sa 
vannah  river  was,  by  the  route  her  draft  of  water  would  have 
caused  her  to  take,  quite  sixty  miles,  and  would,  under  favor 
able  circumstances,  have  required  ten  hours  to  accomplish. 

"The  enemy  retired  from  the  attack  of  Genesis'  Point 
three  days  before  the  looked  for  high  tide,  and  having 
ascertained  that  his  wooden  gun-boats  were  lying  below 
his  iron-clad  Monitor,  with  considerable  interval  between 
them,  and  thinking  that  the  Atlanta  had  speed  enough  to 
enable  me  to  avoid  an  action  with  the  Monitor,  and  more 
to  silence  the  clamor  of  an  ignorant  and  excited  public 
than  in  the  expectation  of  effecting  anything  important, 
I  proposed  to  attack  the  enemy's  rear. 

"I  considered  the  Atlanta  no  match  for  the  monitor  class 
of  vessels  at  close  quarters,  and  in  shoal  water  particularly, 
as  owing  to  the  necessity  of  keeping  her  light  to  enable 
her  to  cross  the  flats  and  operate  in  the  sounds,  at  least 
two  feet  of  her  hull  below  the  knuckle  were  exposed, 
covered  with  but  two  inches  of  iron. 

"With  a  view  to  this  attack,  I  endeavored  to  persuade 
the  pilot  to  take  the  Atlanta  to  sea  one  day  before  the 
highest  tide,  which  he  positively  declined  to  do,  as  shown 
by  the  annexed  copies  of  his  letters, — Nos.  1  and  2, — on  the 
subject.  In  the  meantime,  however,  the  enemy's  squadron 
in  Ossabaw  was  reinforced  and  also  that  in  Warsaw  by  the 
Passaic,  monitor,  rendering  such  a  movement  on  my  part 
out  of  the  question.  All  this  was  reported  to  you  in  my 
letter  of  the  9th  of  February  ultimo. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  225 

"On  the  day  of  this  high  tide,  4th  of  February,  I  left 
the  Savannah .  river  and  anchored  off  the  fort  at  Causton's 
Bluff,  iii  Augustine  creek,  having  been  requested  by  General 
Mercer  to  cover  that  point  from  an  attack  of  the  enemy  by 
the  south  channel  of  the  Savannah,  while  a  change  was 
making  in  the  position  of  the  guns  of  the  fort. 

"It  was  at  this  point  I  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  Com 
mander  Win.  WcBlair,  between  whom  and  myself  there  had 
been  the  most  perfect  understanding  and  unity  of  views. 

"This  service  at  Causton's  Bluff  having  been  performed, 
I  returned  with  the  Atlanta  to  the  Savannah  river  and 
anchored  at  the  obstructions,  with  a  view  to  aiding  in  their 
defense,  and  awaiting  there  the  further  movements  of  the 
enemy.  Subsequently  the  enemy's  iron-clads  left  the  sounds 
and  returned  to  Port  Royal,  and  judging  from  this  that  an 
attack  on  Charleston  was  probable,  I  took  advantage  of  the 
first  spring  tide  to  drop  the  Atlanta  down  to  Thunderbolt,  at 
the  head  of  Warsaw  sound,  so  as  by  being  rid  of  the  ob 
structions  and  flats  above  that  point,  I  should  be  enabled 
more  certainly  to  get  to  sea  when  the  enemy  should  have 
committed  himself  in  an  attack  on  Charleston.  In  that 
event,  I  had  two  projects  in  view,  either  to  attack  him 
at  Port  Eoyal,  should  the  force  left  there  justify  it,  or, 
sweeping  the  sounds  to  the  south  of  the  Savannah,  push 
on  to  Key  West  in  the  hope  of  surprising  some  of  the 
enemy's  vessels  in  that  port.  This  last  would  also  have 
enabled  me  to  consume  the  fortnight,  which  I  must  neces 
sarily  have  passed  somewhere  outside,  until  the  tides  should 
have  allowed  a  return  to  the  Savannah  river. 

"While  at  this  anchorage,  however,  and  when  the  tides 
were  at  the  lowest,  two  of  the  enemy's  iron-clads  anchored 
in  the  mouth  of  the  Savannah,  where  none  of  that  class 


226  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

had  ever  shown  themselves  before.  They  could,  in  an  hour, 
have  attacked  the  Georgia  and  beyond  a  doubt  destroyed 
her,  for  I  could  not  have  aided  her.  Nothing  could  have 
prevented  this  disaster  but  ignorance  of  her  force  and 
condition. 

"I  ordered  the  return  of  the  ship  to  the  Savannah  as 
soon  as  possible,  which  could  not  be,  however,  sooner  than 
the  3d  of  April,  and  four  days  before  that  time  I  trans 
ferred  the  squadron  to  Commander  Page. 

"It  was  my  purpose  not  to  have  left  the  Savannah  river 
again  until  the  enemy  should  have  fully  committed  himself 
in  an  attack  on  Charleston,  and  then  to  have  gone  to  sea 
and  executed  my  plan. 

"  Having  thus  detailed  my  views  and  action  while  in  com 
mand  afloat,  I  have  respectfully  to  ask  what  supposed 
defect  in  my  judgment,  or  error  in  my  conduct,  has  brought 
upon  me  the  degradation  of  a  removal  from  my  command 
when  an  attack  from  the  enemy  was  imminent? 

"I  have  also  to  ask  that  a  Court  of  Inquiry  may  be  or 
dered  to  investigate  such  conduct  on  my  part  as  may  have 
been  deemed  objectionable  by  you,  and  that  if  I  have  been 
assailed  by  persons  in  this  community,  as  by  what  I  learn 
is  probable,  I  may  be  furnished  with  the  names  of  my 
assailants  that  I  may  unmask  their  villainy  and  falsehood. 
"I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"JosiAH  TATTNALL, 
"Commandant,  Savannah." 

Commodore  Tattnall  very  properly  refused  to  be  con 
trolled  by  the  opinion  of  the  contractor  (who  was  a  lands 
man  charged  with  converting  the  Atlanta  into  an  iron-clad 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  227 

vessel  of  war),  in  matters  requiring  nautical  skill  and  ex 
perience,  and  declined  to  be  governed  by  the  suggestions 
of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  as  to  the  management  of 
that  vessel,  and  the  time,  tide,  and  circumstances  under 
which  she  should  be  fought.  Anxious  to  make  her  service 
able  to  the  Confederacy,  he  still  exercised  his  own  judg 
ment  as  to  her  capabilities  and  the  conditions  suited  to 
their  exercise.  Had  specific  orders  been  issued  by  the 
Navy  Department  they  would  have  been  obeyed  at  all 
hazard;  but  they  came  not.  In  their  stead  suggestions  of 
an  impracticable  character  were  made ;  and,  being  only 
suggestions,  Commodore  Tattnall  treated  them  as  such,  and 
tested  them  by  the  standard  of  his  own  superior  knowl 
edge  and  enlarged  experience.  It  would  really  appear,  in 
the  light  of  subsequent  events,  as  though  the  Secretary, 
over-estimating  her  power,  was  blindly  bent  upon  the  de 
struction  of  this  vessel.  Great  store  was  laid  by  her.  In 
the  estimation  of  not  a  few, — partially  informed, — she  was 
deemed  competent  to  almost  any  achievement. 

It  will  be  noted  that  in  response  to  certain  inquiries 
propounded  by  Commodore  Tattnall  touching  the  construc 
tion  of  the  Atlanta,  the  contractor  produced  a  letter  from 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  stating  that  he,  the  contractor, 
had  full  authority  to  act  independently  of  all  persons  save 
the  Secretary  himself.  This  was,  to  say  the  least  of  it,  a 
most  novel  and  extraordinary  proceeding.  The  ship  was 
being  remodeled  and  armed  upon  the  station  for  whose 
waters  she  was  designed  as  a  main  defense,  and  yet  the 
officer  in  command  of  that  station  was  not  to  interfere  even 
by  inquiry  or  suggestion.  This  was  more  than  the  Com 
modore  could  tolerate,  and  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  was 
fully  advised  of  his  views  in  the  premises. 


228  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

Commander  Page, — who  relieved  Commodore  Tattnall  of 
the  command  afloat, — was  an  officer  of  merit  and  expe 
rience.  The  Navy  Department  evidently  thought  and  hoped 
that  he  would  be  controlled  by  its  suggestions  and  oblique 
hints  in  reference  to  the  conduct  of  the  naval  vessels  com 
mitted  to  his  charge.  Like  Commodore  Tatttiiall,  however, 
in  matters  involving  life  and  death,  grave  responsibility, 
and  the  honor  of  the  service,  he  preferred  to  be  governed 
by  his  professional  judgment  and  experience.  He  did  not 
propose,  for  the  gratification  of  an  expectant  public  and 
to  satisfy  a  fretting  department,  to  indulge  in  a  naval 
spectacle  regardless  of  its  probable  termination.  As  Com 
modore  Tattnall  had  stated  before,  so  now  did  Commander 
Page  repeat  to  the  Secretary  that  in  professional  matters, 
so  long  as  he  was  permitted  its  exercise,  he  would  be  gov 
erned  by  his  own  best  judgment.  At  the  same  time  he 
distinctly  confessed  that  he  was  prepared  to  render  prompt 
and  rigid  obedience  to  any  positive  order  which  might  be 
issued,  whether  it  accorded  with  his  views  or  not.  This  did 
not  jump  with  the  wishes  of  the  Navy  Department,  always 
ready  to  claim  credit  for  every  successful  action,  but  unpre 
pared  to  assume  responsibility,  and  by  innuendo  frequently  in 
terfering  with  the  well  considered  plans  of  its  leading  officers. 

Commander  Page  was  in  turn  relieved,  and  Lieutenant 
Webb  promoted  over  the  heads  of  brother  officers  and 
assigned  to  the  command. 

The  Atlanta  was  originally  the  Fingal.  She  was  an  iron 
steamer  which,  early  in  the  war,  had  run  the  blockade, 
bringing  to  Savannah  arms  and  ammunition.  On  the  23d 
of  December,  1861,^  Commodore  Tattnall,  with  his  little 
fleet,  had  attempted  to  convoy  her  to  sea  by  the  way  of 
Warsaw  sound.  The  enemy's  war  vessels  appearing  in 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  229 

force  on  the  coast  and  subsequently  maintaining  a  constant 
lookout  for  her,  the  enterprise  was  abandoned  and  the 
Fingal  returned  to  Savannah,  where  she  was  subsequently 
converted  into  an  iron-clad,  and  her  name  changed  to  the 
Atlanta.  She  was  armed  with  a  battery  of  four  guns.  Two 
of  them, — seven-inch  Brooke  rifles, — were  mounted  on  bow 
and  stern  pivots.  The  other  two, — six-inch  rifles, — were 
mounted  in  broadside.  The  seven-inch  guns  were  so  ar 
ranged  that  they  could  be  worked  either  as  broadside  or 
as  bow  and  stern  guns.  Her  crew  consisted  of  some  twenty- 
one  officers  and  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  men.  She 
was  well  furnished  with  stores  of  all  sorts.  Such  was  her 
condition  when  Commander  Webb  steamed  past  the  aban 
doned  batteries  on  Skidaway  Island  to  deliver  battle  to  the 
Federal  iron-clads  Weehawken  and  Nalant,  which,  in  War 
saw  sound,  awaited  her  coming.  When  within  six  hundred 
yards  of  the  former  she  ran  aground,  but  was  quickly  backed 
off.  Boldly  holding  her  course  she  got  aground  a  second 
time,  and,  in  this  unfortunate  situation,  from  which  the 
most  strenuous  efforts  failed  to  extricate  her,  commenced 
the  action.  Unable  to  bring  her  guns  to  bear  with  any 
degree  of  accuracy  upon  the  Weekawken  which  approached 
within  short  range,  and,  choosing  her  position,  opened  fire 
with  her  fifteen-inch  guns,  she  received  four  shots  which 
knocked  off  the  pilot-house,  drove  in  a  port  stopper,  seri 
ously  damaged  the  armor  and  wood  backing,  and  wounded 
sixteen  men, — among  them  two  of  the  three  pilots  on  board. 
Perceiving  his  hopeless  condition,  Commander  Webb  was 
forced  to  surrender.  The  engagement  lasted  only  about 
sixteen  minutes,  and  thus  ended  the  career  of  the  Atlanta. 
Her  sad  fate  justified  the  predictions  of  Commodore  Tatt- 
nall  and  Commander  Page. 


CHAPTEB  SEVENTEENTH. 

Engaged  in  supervising  the  construction  of  Confederate  war  vessels  at 
Savannah.  Capture  of  the  United  States  steamer  Water-  Witch.  Or 
dered  to  destroy  all  naval  vessels  at  the  station  if  Savannah  fell.  Re 
port  of  his  action  in  obedience  to  these  instructions.  Retreats  from 
Savannah,  in  December,  1864,  with  Lieutenant-General  Hardee.  In 
Augusta,  Georgia,  until  the  surrender  of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 
After  being  parolled,  returns  to  Savannah.  Letter  to  General  Robert 
E.  Lee.  General  Lee's  response.  Removes  to  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia. 
Again  in  Savannah.  Appointed  Inspector  of  that  Port. 

Commodore  Tattnall  continued  to  exercise  the  command 
of  the  shore  station,  which  was  of  importance  only  in  the 
efforts  he  made  to  build  vessels  of  a  class  superior  to  the 
Atlanta.  This  was  done  under  contract  with  Mr.  Willink, 
an  energetic  ship-carpenter  and  naval  constructor  of  pro 
bity  and  repute.  Thus  was  the  Savannah  built,  and  the 
Milledgeville  was  approaching  completion  when  Savannah 
passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Federals.  The  sameness 
of  the  naval  service  in  these  waters  was  on  one  occasion 
relieved  by  an  exploit  of  considerable  merit. 

At  half-past  one  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of 
June,  1864,  a  boat  expedition,  under  the  command  of  Lieu 
tenant  Pelot  of  the  Confederate  Navy,  after  a  desperate 
hand  to  hand  encounter  of  some  fifteen  minutes,  succeeded 
in  boarding  and  capturing  the  United  States  steamer  Water- 
Witch  in  Ossabaw  sound.  This  vessel  formed  one  of  the 
blockading  squadron  on  the  Georgia  coast,  and  carried  a 
battery  of  four  guns.  The  attacking  party  numbered  eighty 
men,  conveyed  in  seven  barges.  The  brave  young  com 
mander,  who  was  the  first  to  gain  the  steamer's  deck,  was 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  231 

shot  through  the  heart  while  contending  most  gallantly 
with  the  enemy.  In  this  affair  the  Confederates  lost  six 
killed  and  twelve  wounded.  The  Federal  loss  aggregated 
two  killed  and  fifteen  wounded.  Among  the  latter  was 
Lieutenant  Pendergrast,  commanding.  The  entire  crew, 
numbering  eighty  men,  and  the  vessel  were  safely  conveyed 
within  the  Confederate  lines. 

On  the  10th  of  December.  1864,  in  anticipation  of  the 
early  evacuation  or  capture  of  Savannah,  Commodore  Tatt- 
nall  received  the  following  dispatch  : 

"  EICHMOND,  10th  December,  1864, 

"  VIA  COURIER  FROM  HARDEEVILLE. 
"  To  Captain  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 

"Commanding  Station : 

"Should  Savannah  fall,  do  not  permit  our  vessels  under 
construction  or  any  of  the  public  property  in  your  charge 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Destroy  everything 
when  necessary  to  prevent  this. 

"  S.  K.  MALLORY, 
"  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

To  the  execution  of  this  order  he  gave  his  personal  su 
pervision  on  the  eve  of  the  evacuation  of  the  city  of  Sa 
vannah  by  the  Confederate  forces  under  Lieutenant- General 
Hardee.  His  report  to  the  Department  we  give  in  full : 

"AUGUSTA,  GEORGIA,  17th  January,  1865. 
"SiR:  In  obedience  to  your  order  of  the  30th  Decem 
ber,  ultimo,  which  followed  me  to  this  place  from  Charles 
ton,  I  furnish  you  a  statement  of  the  destruction  of  the 
public  property  under  my  charge  at  Savannah,  including 
the  vessels  on  the  stocks  and  those  not  completed,  and 

also  what  became  of  the  naval  and  ordnance  stores. 
31 


232  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES   Otf 

"The  JfilledgeviUe,  the  steamer  constructed  by  Mr.  Wil- 
link  and  which  had  been  recently  launched,  was  burnt  to 
the  water's  edge  and  sunk  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  where 
I  had  anchored  her  to  prevent  accident  from  fire  to  the 
property  in  the  vicinity.  In  the  expectation  of  getting  her 
up  the  river,  in  which,  as  I  reported  to  you  I  was  disap 
pointed,  I  had  placed  some  provisions  and  a  few  other 
unimportant  articles  on  board  of  her  for  the  use  of  the 
squadron.  The  provisions,  however,  had  all  been  trans 
ferred  to  the  squadron,  and  but  little  was  lost  in  her. 

"The  ship  on  the  stocks  at  the  yard  of  Krenston  & 
Hawkes,  I  had  intended  to  throw  off  the  stocks  as  I  feared 
danger  to  the  neighboring  houses  if  I  burnt  her.  Disap 
pointed,  however,  by  nearly  all  the  force  I  had  relied  on 
to  effect  it,  I,  at  the  last  moment,  fired  her,  and  she  was 
consumed. 

"Some  thirty  or  thirty-five  tons  of  coal  were  left  as  it 
could  not  be  destroyed  or  removed,  all  communication  with 
Thornasville  having  been  cut  off  by  the  enemy ;  and,  indeed, 
the  coal  would  have  been  required  by  the  squadron  had 
the  siege  been  continued. 

"The  property  sent  to  Thomasville  consisted  chiefly  of 
a  large  quantity  of  paint,  one  thousand  sheets  of  sheathing 
copper,  and  some  blocks,  with  a  very  small  quantity  of 
provisions. 

"  The  stock  of  everything  in  store  at  Savannah  was  very 
small,  nothing  having  been  received  from  Albany  for  some 
time,  owing  to  the  interruption  of  the  communication  by 
the  enemy. 

"  A  small  stock  of  provisions  had  been  kept  on  hand  for 
the  use  of  the  marines  who  were  in  the  trenches.  When 
preparations  were  making  for  the  evacuation,  this  was  dis- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  233 

tributed  in  equal  quantities  among  the  families  of  the 
officers  that  were  obliged  to  remain  behind,  and  who  would 
otherwise  have  been  destitute.  The  understanding  wras  that 
they  were  to  be  held  subject  to  the  order  of  the  quarter 
master  of  tlie  marines,  and  not  to  be  used  until  the  enemy 
had  entered  the  city.  In  the  latter  case,  the  officers  were 
to  be  accountable  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for  their 
value,  or  return  in  kind.  Receipts  Avere  taken  for  the  same 
by  the  navy  store-keeper.  Four  families  received  the  benfiet 
of  this  arrangement,  of  which  my  own  was  one.  The  ap 
portionment  consisted  of  one  barrel  of  flour,  two  of  bread, 
and  one  of  beef. 

"The  ordnance  stores  sent  to  Thomasville  consisted  of 
all  the  powder  and  shells  on  the  station,  and  the  pivot  gun 
of  the  captured  steamer  Water-Witch.  I  do  not  know  the 
quantity  of  the  powder  and  shells,  but  Lieutenant  Oliver's 
last  report  to  the  ordnance  officer  will  inform  you. 
"I  am,  sir,  respectfully, 

"Your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL, 
"Captain  Confederate  States  Navy." 
"  Captain  S.  S.  Lee, 

"  Confederate  States  Navy, 

"In  charge  of  Bureau  of  Orders  and  Detail." 

Commodore  Tattnall  was  among  the  last  to  leave  Savan 
nah  when  she  passed  into  the  possession  of  General  Sher 
man's  advancing  columns.  In  company  with  two  others, 
in  an  open  boat,  he  pulled  down  the  river  to  Screven's 
ferry,  and  there  went  on  board  the  iron-clad  Savannah, — 
Commander  Brent.  Landing  from  the  vessel  just  previous 
to  her  destruction,  he  marched  to  Hardeeville  where  the 
retreating  Confederates  were  ordered  to  concentrate.  Thence 


234  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

he  proceeded  to  Charleston,  and,  after  communicating  with 
the  Government  at  Kichmond,  went  to  Augusta,  Georgia, 
where  he  remained  awaiting  orders  until  the  surrender  of 
General  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 

On  the  9th  of  May,  1865,  he  was  regularly  paroled  as 
a  prisoner  of  war,  and  shortly  afterwards  returned  to 
Savannah. 

There  he  remained  until  late  in  the   spring  of   1866. 

During  this  period  he  was  frequently  consulted  by  officers 
of  the  army  and  navy,  and  by  citizens,  as  to  the  course 
they  had  best  pursue  in  view  of  the  President's  proclama 
tions  and  the  unsettled  condition  of  affairs.  Learning  that 
General  Lee  had  applied  for  a  pardon,  and  desiring  the 
opinion  of  that  pure  and  noble  man  and  great  Captain, 
he  addressed  him  the  following  communication : 

"SAVANNAH,  GA.;  23d  August,  1865. 
"  GENERAL  : 

"I  am  a  paroled  prisoner  of  war  under  the  capitulation 
of  General  Joseph  E.  Johnston. 

"I  am,  occasionally,  consulted  by  junior  officers  of  the 
navy  as  to  the  proper  course  to  be  adopted  in  the  present 
crisis,  and  have  advised  those  who  are  priviledged,  to  frankly 
accept  the  President's  amnesty,  and  to  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  in  good  faith.  I,  however,  and  others,  specially 
debarred  the  benefit  of  the  amnesty,  are  placed  on  a  differ 
ent  footing,  and,  as  I  understand  it,  are  required  to  apply 
for  pardon  or  clemency,  two  words  which  imply  a  crime 
committed.  Now,  when  in  due  course  of  law  it  shall  be 
decided  that  the  South  has  committed  treason,  I  shall 
readily  acknowledge  the  validity  of  the  decision  and  make 
all  honorable  amends  in  my  power ;  but,  until  then,  I  have 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  235 

thought  it  due  to  my  self  respect  not  to  acknowledge  the 
authority  of  any  man,  however  exalted  (meaning  the  Presi 
dent),  or  of  any  body  of  men,  however  august  (meaning 
the  Congress),  to  denounce  me  as  a  traitor. 

"There  is,  however,  another  consideration,  stronger  than 
a  personal  one,  which  has  hitherto  been  an  insurmountable 
obstacle  to  my  becoming  an  applicant  for  pardon.  Although 
I  disapproved  entirely  of  secession,  and  had  to  give  evidence 
to  that  effect  before  a  jury  at  Savannah  a  year  after  the 
commencement  of  the  war,  still,  as  I  accepted  a  commission 
signed  by  President  Davis,  I  considered  it,  and  still  consider 
it  my  duty  to  support  him  as  my  commander-in-chief  and 
the  exponent  of  the  political  principles  of  the  Southern 
Confederacy.  He  is,  it  seems,  to  be  tried  for  treason,  and 
I  cannot  consent  to  take  a  step,  for  my  personal  benefit, 
which  may  jeopard  his  safety.  To  apply  for  pardon  is  to 
acknowledge  treason,  and  this  acknowledgment  by  the 
leading  political  men  and  the  senior  officers  of  the  army 
and  navy  of  the  Confederacy,  in  advance  of  his  trial,  may 
seriously  influence  the  jury,  and  seems  to  me  equivalent 
to  turning  States  evidence  against  him. 

"I  know  but  little  of  Mr.  Davis  personally,  having  met 
him  but  thrice,  and  each  time  but  for  a  few  minutes.  I 
should  not,  I  think,  be  likely  to  recognize  him  on  the  streets. 
I  am  influenced  solely  by  the  considerations  I  have  stated. 

"I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  address  you  in  consequence 
of  a  statement  in  a  New  York  paper  (the  National)  that 
you  had  applied  for  a  pardon,  but  'had  made  no  abject 
submission,  but  had  accompanied  the  petition  for  pardon 
with  a  fuh1  statement  of  those  things  which  had  made  his 
(your)  past  conduct  seem  right  and  proper,  and  had  avowed 
his  (your)  unchanging  devotion  to  his  (your)  former  prin- 


236  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

ciples.'  In  view  of  the  politics  of  the  paper  in  which 
this  was  published,  I  discredited  it,  but  from  a  letter  of 
General  Wade  Hampton,  recently  published,  I  am  led  to 
think  there  may  be  some  truth  in  it. 

"I  am  induced,  therefore,  to  hope  that  you  have  happily 
suggested  a  course  which  removes  the  obstacles  from 
my  path;  and  feeling  assured  that  a  step  which  you  have 
taken  must  be  honorable  and  a  fitting  example,  I  beg  that 
you  will,  at  your  leisure,  favor  me  with  your  views  on  the 
subject  for  the  benefit  of  myself  and  those  who  consult  me. 
"I  am  oat  of  the  word  here,  and  have  no  one  with  whom 
I  can  interchange  views,  and  while  tenacious  on  a  point 
of  honoi  and  official  propriety,  I  do  not  wish  to  appear  so 
in  regard  to  mere  forms  or  trifles. 
"I  am,  General, 

"Very  respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

"  JOSIAH  TATTNALL." 
"  General  E.  E.  Lee, 

"  Carter  sville,  Virginia." 

The  following  is  General  Lee's  reply  : 


CARTERSVILLE,  VA.,  7th  Sept.,  1865. 
"SlR:  I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  23d  ultimo, 
and  in  reply  will  state  the  course  I  have  pursued  under 
circumstances  similar  to  your  own,  and  will  leave  you  to 
judge  of  its  propriety.  Like  yourself,  I  have,  since  the 
cessation  of  hostilities,  advised  all  with  whom  I  have  con 
versed  on  the  subject,  who  come  within  the  terms  of  the 
President's  proclamations,  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance 
and  accept  in  good  faith  the  amnesty  offered.  But  I  have 
gone  farther,  and  have  recommended  to  those  who  were 


COMMODORE    JOSlAH  TATTNALL. 

excluded  from  their  benefits,  to  make  application,  under 
the  proviso  of  the  proclamation  of  the  29th  May,  to  be  em 
braced  in  its  provisions. 

"Both  classes,  in  order  to  be  restored  to  their  former 
rights  and  privileges,  were  required  to  perform  a  certain 
act,  and  I  do  not  see  that  an  acknowledgment  of  guilt  is 
expressed  in  one  more  than  the  other. 

"  The  war  being  at  an  end,  the  Southern  States  having 
laid  down  their  arms,  and  the  questions  at  issue  between 
them  and  the  Northern  States  having  been  decided,  1  be 
lieved  it  to  be  the  duty  of  every  one  to  unite  in  the  restora 
tion  of  the  country  and  the  reestablishment  of  peace  and 
harmony.  These  considerations  governed  me  in  counsels 
I  gave  to  others,  and  induced  me,  on  the  13th  of  June,  to 
make  application  to  be  included  in  the  terms  of  the  amnesty 
proclamation.  I  have  not  received  an  answer,  and  cannot 
inform  you  what  has  been  the  decision  of  the  President. 
But  whatever  that  may  be,  I  do  not  see  how  the  course  I 
have  recommended  and  practised  can  prove  detrimental 
to  the  former  President  of  the  Confederate  States.  It 
appears  to  me  that  the  allayment  of  passion,  the  dissipa 
tion  of  prejudice,  and  the  restoration  of  reason,  will  alone 
enable  the  people  of  the  country  to  acquire  a  true  knowl 
edge,  and  form  a  correct  judgment  of  the  events  of  the 
pastjxmr  years.  It  wih1,  I  think,  then  be  admitted  that  Mr. 
Davis  has  done  nothing  more  than  all  the  citizens  of  the 
Southern  States,  and  should  not  be  held  accountable  for 
acts  performed  by  them  in  the  exercise  of  what  had  been 
considered  their  unquestionable  right.  I  have  too  exalted 
an  opinion  of  the  American  people  to  believe  that  they 
will  consent  to  injustice ;  and  it  is  only  necessary,  in  my 
opinion,  that  truth  should  be  known,  for  the  rights  of  every 


238  THE  LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

one  to  be   secured.     I   know   of  no   surer   way  of  eliciting 
the  truth  than  by  burying  contention  with  the  war. 

"I  enclose  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  President  Johnson, 
and  feel  assured  that  however  imperfectly  I  may  have  given 
you  my  views  on  the  subject  of  your  letter,  your  own  high 
sense  of  honor  and  right  will  lead  you  to  a  satisfactory 
conclusion  as  to  the  proper  course  to  be  pursued  in  your 
own  case.  With  great  respect  and  esteem, 

"  I  am  your  most  obedient  servant, 

"RE.  LEE." 
"  Captain  Josiah  Tattnall, 

"Savannah,  Georgia." 

Finding  the  cost  of  living  in  Savannah  beyond  his  means, 
and  a  residence  there  in  the  unsettled  condition  of  affairs 
proving  in  some  respects  unpleasant, — especially  to  the 
ladies  of  his  family, — he  resolved  to  seek  a  domicile  in  the 
Province  of  Nova  Scotia.  Careful  to  take  no  step  which 
by  any  possibility  could  be  construed  into  an  unauthorized 
enlargement  of  his  parole,  he  first  applied  to  the  War  De 
partment  for  leave  to  make  this  change  of  habitation.  On 
the  12th  of  June,  1866,  formal  permission  was  granted, 
and  for  the  ensuing  four  years  the  Commodore  and  his 
family  resided  near  Halifax.  Although  living  in  quietude 
and  frugality,  he  was  the  recipient  of  constant  and  marked 
attentions  from  the  prominent  citizens  of  and  visitors  to 
that  place.  His  pecuniary  resources  being  well  nigh  ex 
hausted,  committing  his  family  to  the  care  of  his  surviving 
and  beloved  son,  he  returned  to  Savannah  to  seek  employ 
ment.  It  was  a  brave  sight, — this  noble  old  man,  bent 
with  age  and  infirmities,  but  with  eye  still  flashing  with 
its  wonted  fires,  and  with  spirit  undaunted,  in  quest  of 


COMMODORE  JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  239 

honorable  labor  in  the  home  of  his  youth !  Although 
treading  upon  the  verge  of  the  longest  period  allotted  to 
human  life,  he  could  not  put  the  harness  from  him. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1870,  the  Mayor  and  City  Council 
of  Savannah  created  for  him  the  office  of  Inspector  of  the 
Port  of  Savannah,  with  a  salary  of  twelve  hundred  dollars 
per  annum.  This  position  he  held  for  seventeen  months, 
when  it  was  vacated  by  his  lamented  demise.  Of  this  office 
he  was  the  only  incumbent.  For  him  was  it  called  into 
being,  and  with  him  it  expired. 


32 


CHAPTEK  EIGHTEENTH. 


Death.  Resolutions  of  the  City  Council  of  Savannah.  Committee  of 
arrangements,  and  pall-bearers.  Order  of  arrangements  for  the  obse 
quies.  Ceremonies  observed.  Burial.  Public  tributes.  Closing 
hours.  Captain  Whittle's  sketch  of  Commodore  Tattnall. 

Commodore  Tattnall  died  in  the  city  of  Savannah  on  the 
14th  of  June,  1871.  The  immediate  cause  of  his  death  was 
general  debility,  complicated  by  a  congestion  of  the  brain. 
For  some  months  he  had  been  in  failing  health. 

Upon  the  announcement  of  his  demise  a  general  gloom 
settled  upon  the  community.  All  vessels  in  the  harbor 
displayed  their  flags  at  half  mast.  The  City  Council  con 
vened  to  give  expression  to  the  public  grief  and  make  suita 
ble  arrangements  for  the  funeral  of  the  honored  dead. 

At  that  meeting  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions 
were  unanimously  adopted  : 

"Our  venerable  and  distinguished  fellow-citizen,  Josiah 
Tattnall,  has  just  terminated  a  long  life  marked  by  the  most 
exalted  virtues.  Though  in  the  course  of  nature  his  days 
could  not  have  been  much  prolonged,  the  intelligence  of 
his  death  is  received  by  the  City  Council  of  Savannah  with 
that  emotion  which  always  attends  the  loss  of  such  eminent 
examples  of  public  and  private  worth.  It  is  meet  that  in 
this,  the  city  of  his  nativity,  and  among  those  to  whom  his 
name  and  fame  are  dearest,  peculiar  honors  should  be  paid 
to  his  memory  :  therefore  be  it 

''Resolved,  That  this  Council  does  hereby  vote  a  public 
funeral  to  the  late  Commodore  Josiah  Tattnall,  to  be  con 
ducted  under  the  direction  of  a  committee  of  Aldermen 
and  citizens. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAII   TATTNALL.  241 

"Resolved,  That  this  body,  with  its  officers,  attend  the 
funeral,  and  that  the  citizens  generally  be  requested  also 
to  attend. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  city  offices  be  closed,  and  that  the 
citizens  be  requested  to  close  their  places  of  business,  so 
far  as  practicable,  on  the  day  of  the  obsequies. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Council  Chamber  and  the  staves  of 
the  Police  Court  be  draped  in  mourning  during  the  space 
of  thirty  days." 

Upon  motion,  the  following  committee  of  arrangements 
was  appointed  by  his  Honor,  Mayor  John  Screven  : 

"  ALDERMEN. — Jno.  O.  Ferrill,  Chairman  ;  E.  C.  Anderson, 
Jr.,  K.  H.  Footman,  John  T.  Konan,  A.  Hay  wood. 

"CITIZENS. — Colonel  E.  C.  Anderson,  Chairman;  Geo.  L. 
Cope,  Colonel  J.  S.  Claghorn,  E.  N.  Gourdin,  Major  W.  H. 
Wiltberger,  L.  J.  Guilmartin,  Major  J.  F.  Wheaton,  Hon. 
E.  D.  Arnold,  Dr.  J.  B.  Bead,  George  S.  Owens,  Hon.  E.  T. 
Gibson,  J.  H.  Estill,  J.  E.  Sneed,  E.  L.  Beard,  Colonel  W- 
E.  Symons,  Colonel  J.  F.  Waring,  Colonel  C.  H.  Olmstead, 
A.  F.  Butler,  General  G.  P.  Harrison,  Colonel  E.  A.  Wayne, 
Colonel  E.  J.  Davant,  Jr.,  Colonel  Charlton  H.  Way,  John 
Stoddard,  Major  George  W.  Anderson,  Jr.,  Major  Henry 
Bryan,  Major  A.  L.  Hartridge,  Wm.  Hunter,  Wm.  Neyle 
Habersham,  J.  W.  Lathrop,  Colonel  Wm.  M.  Wadley,  Hon. 
Wm.  Schley,  Wm.  Duncan,  Charles  Green,  John  L.  Villa- 
longa,  E.  A.  Soullard,  Hon.  Julian  Hartridge,  Hon.  Solomon 
Cohen,  John  McMahon,  Geo.  C.  Freeman,  A.  A.  Solomons, 
Major  C.  A.  Withers,  Major  John  Lama,  Major  P.  H.  Behn, 
Hon.  Wm.  B.  Fleming,  G.  B.  Lamar,  Jr.,  Aug.  P.  Wetter, 
John  E.  Wilder,  Wm.  B.  Hodgson,  W.  C.  O'Driscoll. 

"  GENERAL  OFFICERS. — Generals  J.  E.  Johnston,  Henry  C. 
Wayne,  J.  F.  Gilmer,  A.  E.  Lawton,  H.  E.  Jackson,  Mans- 


242  THE  LIFE  AND   SERVICES   OF 

field  Lovell,  E.  H.  Anderson,  G.  M.  Sorrel,  W.  W.  Kirkland, 
J.  J.  Dickinson,  Joseph  Finegan. 

"NAVAL  OFFICERS. — Colonel  Edward  C.  Anderson,  Captain 
J.  S.  Kennard,  Lieutenant  Julian  Myers,  Lieutenant  E.  M. 
Anderson,  Dr.  Thomas  M.  Charlton,  Midshipman  H.  T. 
Minor,  Midshipman  Gilbert  C.  Wilkins. 

"  CONSULAR.— Hon.  Win.  Tasker  Smith,  H.  B.  M.  Consul." 

The  following  gentlemen  were  requested  by  the  family  to 
act  as  pall-bearers: 

General  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  General  A.  E.  Lawton, 
Lyde  Goodwin,  Win.  H.  Bulloch,  Captain  J.  S.  Kennard, 
Captain  J.  Eutledge,  Lieutenant  Julian  Myers,  Lieutenant 
E.  M.  Anderson,  Midshipman  H.  T.  Minor,  Midshipman  G. 
A.  Wilkins,  Paymaster  P.  M.  DeLeon,  Alderman  E.  C.  An 
derson,  Jr.,  Alderman  W.  S.  Basinger,  Wm.  M.  Sneed. 

This  order  of  arrangements  for  the  obsequies  was  agreed 
upon  and  announced : 

"The  procession  will  be  formed  in  the  following  order, 
at  4  o'clock  P.  M.,  on  Congress  street,  under  command  of 
General  E.  H.  Anderson,  the  right  resting  in  front  of  the 
northern  entrance  to  the  Screven  House,  the  line  facing 
north : 

"1.  The  Washington  Cornet  Band. 
"  2.  The  police  force  of  the  city. 
"3.  The  officiating  clergy. 

"4.  Hearse  and  Pall-bearers — General  J.  E.  Johnston, 
General  A.  E.  Lawton,  Lyde  Goodwin,  Wm.  H.  Bulloch, 
Captain  J.  S.  Kennard,  Captain  J.  Eutledge,  Lieutenant  E. 
M.  Anderson,  Lieutenant  Julian  Myers,  Midshipman  W.  M. 
Sneed,  Midshipman  H.  T.  Minor,  Midshipman  G.  A.  Wilkins, 
Paymaster  P.  M.  DeLeon,  Alderman  E.  C.  Anderson,  Jr., 
Alderman  W.  S.  Basinger. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  243 

"  5.  The  family  and  relatives  of  deceased. 
"6.  The  Eeverend  Clergy  of  all  demoninations. 
"7.  Naval  officers. 
"8.  Savannah  Volunteer  Guards. 

"  9.  Officers,  soldiers,  and  seamen  of  the  late  Confederate 
army  and  navy. 

"  10.  The  Mayor  and  Aldermen  of  the  city  of  Savannah, 
together  with  the  city  officers. 
"11.  Foreign  Consuls. 
"  12.  Members  of  the  Press. 
"  13.  Various  societies  of  the  city. 
"  14.  Citizens  at  large. 
"15.  Officers  and  crews  of  vessels  in  port. 
"16.  The  Fire  Companies  in  uniforn,  without  engines  and 
apparatus,  under  direction  of  officers  of  the  department. 

"  Captains  of  vessels  in  port  are  requested  to  display  their 
colors  at  half-mast  during  the  day. 

"  The  exchange  bell,  and  the  bells  of  the  different  churches 
will  be  tolled  from  half-past  3  p.  M.  to  5  o'clock  P.  M. 

"The  Mayor  and  Aldermen,  together  with  the  Committee 
of  Arrangements,  will  convene  at  the  Mayor's  office  at  3  P.  M. 
"The  Eeverend  Clergy  of  all  denominations  are  respect 
fully  invited  to  unite  in  the  procession,  occupying  the  posi 
tion  assigned  them. 

"  JOHN  O.  FERRILL, 

"  Chairman  Committee  of  Council. 

"EDWARD  C.  ANDERSON, 
"  Chairman  Committee  of  Citizens." 
"JAMES  STEWART,  Secretary." 

The  funeral  of  the  late  Commodore  Tattnall  was  solem 
nized  on  the  afternoon  of  the  16th  of  June,  1871.  A  larger 
or  more  imposing  ceremony,  of  that  mournful  character,  the 


244  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

city  never  witnessed.  Of  the  entire  population  there 
was  a  general  outpouring  to  pay  the  last  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  memory  of  the  dead  hero. 

From  one  of  the  city  papers  of  the  ensuing  day  we  ex 
tract  this  account  of  the  ceremonies  observed  on  that 
occasion : 

"The  funeral  of  the  late  Commodore  Tattnall  took  place 
yesterday  afternoon  from  Christ  Church.  It  was  one  of 
the  largest  that  has  ever  taken  place  in  our  city. 

"According  to  previous  arrangements  the  committee  of 
Aldermen  and  citizens  assembled  at  the  Exchange,  and 
marched  to  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Kollock,  corner  of  South 
Broad  and  Barnard  streets,  where  the  corpse  lay,  and  es 
corted  it  to  the  Church,  at  which  a  large  concourse  of  people 
had  assembled ;  the  police  force  and  Sabre  Club,  under 
the  command  of  General  R.  H.  Anderson,  drawn  up  in  line 
on  Congress  street,  saluting  as  the  corpse  passed  into  the 
Church,  and  the  Washington  Cornet  Band  playing  a  solemn 
dirge ;  the  choir  inside  the  Church  also  chanting  a  requiem. 

"The  Bishop  and  Clergy  of  the  Episcopal  Church  met 
the  pall-bearers  at  the  door  and  preceded  them  down  the 
aisle  slowly,  Bishop  Beck  with  repeating  the  service  of  the 
Church  in  a  very  solemn  and  impressive  manner.  The 
body  was  then  deposited  in  the  Chancel,  and  the  Reverend 
Samuel  Benedict  read  the  funeral  services.  Bishop  Beck- 
with  then  proceeded  to  address  the  audience  upon  the 
life  and  deeds  of  the  dead  hero  who  lay  coffined  before 
him,  and  whose  many  friends  and  admirers  were  there  to 
pay  a  last  tribute  of  respect  to  his  memory.  He  said  that 
it  was  with  much  reluctance  that  he  had  complied  with 
the  request  of  the  City  Council  in  attempting  to  perform 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  245 

the  task  which  was  required  of  him,  and  proceeded  then, 
in  a  few  very  eloquent  remarks,  to  portray  the  gallant  deeds 
of  the  great  man  who  had  gone  to  his  rest,  describing  in 
the  most  graphic  and  interesting  manner  the  many  events 
of  the  life  of  the  Midshipman  of  1812,  and  of  the  succeed 
ing  periods  of  his  life  upon  the  waters  of  the  different 
hemispheres  arid  under  almost  every  sun ;  not  failing  to 
refer  to  the  noble  act  of  intercession  in  Chinese  waters,  by 
which  he  saved  the  honor  of  England's  flag,  saying  at  the 
time  that  '  human  blood  was  thicker  than  water.'  But,  said 
the  Bishop,  this  is  not  a  theme  for  the  Bishop  of  the 
Church,  before  whom  is  brought  all  that  is  mortal  of  one 
of  her  children.  These  are  subjects  for  the  orator  and  the 
historian.  He  felt  that  his  duty  was  to  speak  of  other  sub 
jects  in  connection  with  the  life  of  Commodore  Tattnall ; 
and  he  then  described  in  most  beautiful  and  touching 
language  the  simple  and  childlike  later  life  of  the  old  hero, 
and  his  calm  and  resigned  manner  at  the  announcement 
by  his  physician  that  his  departure  for  another  world  was 
near,  saying  to  his  pastor  that  he  was  glad  of  it. 

"To  give  a  synopsis  even  of  the  very  impressive  and 
eloquent  discourse  of  Dr.  Beckwith,  would  be  impossible.  In 
concluding,  the  distinguished  divine  said  that  after  a  long  life 
and  one  marked  by  such  eventful  scenes  he  was  to  be  liter 
ally  brought  back  to  the  very  spot  upon  which  he  had  first 
commenced  his  existence ;  the  grand  old  oaks  that  witnessed 
his  childhood's  days  were  still  waiting  to  welcome  him 
back  to  rest  beneath  the  shadow  of  their  spreading  arches. 
These  closing  remarks  were  clothed  in  language  unsurpassed 
in  beauty,  and  the  picture,  drawn  as  with  the  pencil  of  the 
most  graphic  artist,  was  perfect,  simple,  natural,  and  beauti 
ful.  It  seemed  as  though  the  battle-scarred  veteran  was 


246  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OP 

truly  returning  to  a  home  and  loving  friends  who  waited 
to  welcome  him. 

"The  services  over,  the  pall-bearers  took  up  the  coffin, 
and,  the  long  procession  having  moved  out  of  the  Church, 
entered  the  carriages,  buggies,  and  other  vehicles  provided 
for  their  accommodation.  The  line  then  moved  down  Dray- 
ton  street  to  South  Broad,  thence  to  East  Broad,  and  on  the 
Thunderbolt  road. 

"THE  FILNERAL  CORTEGE. 

"The  procession  moved  from  the  Church,  under  the  com 
mand  of  the  General  Marshal,  in  the  following  order : 

"  Savannah  Sabre  Club. 

"Metropolitan  detachment  of  Artillery,  under  command 
of  Captain  Thos.  A.  Maddox. 

"  Citizens  on  horseback. 

"General  Marshal,  Aids,  and  Orderlies. 

"Washington  Cornet  Band. 

"Savannah  Police  Force. 

"Savannah  Yolunteer  Guards  in  citizens'  dress. 

"Carriages  with  the  officiating  Clergymen. 

"  Hearse. 

"  Carriages  with  Pall-bearers. 

"Carriages  with  the  late  Commodore's  family. 

"Carriages  with  Mayor  and  Aldermen,  committee,  and 
citizens. 

"  Buggies. 

"  At  the  toll-gate,  General  Anderson's  force  and  a  portion 
of  the  detachment  of  those  old  veterans,  the  Savannah 
Yolunteer  Guards,  of  which  the  deceased  had  been  an 
honored  member  for  upwards  of  half  a  century,  were  dis 
missed,  and  the  solemn  cavalcade  proceeded  onward  to  the 
place  of  interment.  Many  persons  on  foot  followed  the 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  247 

cortege.  Arriving  at  Bonaventure,  the  procession  slowly 
moved  up  the  northern  avenue — the  mossy  branches  form 
ing  a  majestic  arch  over  the  remains  of  the  departed  hero 
and  those  who  were  moving  on  to  see  his  beloved  form  con 
signed  to  the  tomb  where  his  honored  ancestry  lay. 

"AT  THE  TOMB. 

"  The  place  of  burial  was  the  family  lot  of  the  Tattnalls, 
where,  for  more  than  a  century  and  a  quarter,  the  ancestors 
of  the  lamented  dead  had  found  a  resting  place.  In  the 
enclosure  is  a  monument  erected  to  their  first  Captain, 
Edward  Fenwick  Tattnall,  a  brother  of  the  deceased,  by 
the  Savannah  Volunteer  Guards.  A  large  slab  marks  the 
place  where  rest  the  remains  of  Commodore  Tattnall's  father 
and  mother,  and  a  brother  and  a  sister,  all  buried  in  one 
grave.  A  grave  opened  at  the  side  of  the  latter  received 
all  that  was  mortal  of  the  deceased. 

"The  casket  was  carried  by  the  pall-bearers  into  the 
enclosure,  when  the  Reverend  Samuel  Benedict  and  the 
Reverend  J.  M.  Mitchell  read  the  beautiful  burial  service 
of  the  Episcopal  Church  over  the  remains,  which  were 
then  lowered  into  their  last  earthly  home.  The  assembly 
here  sung  the  hymn,  'Nearer  my  God,  to  Thee,'  at  the 
conclusion  of  which  the  grave  was  filled  up.  The  Savannah 
Sabre  Club  took  a  position,  at  the  commencement  of  the 
services,  east  of  the  enclosure,  and  presented  sabres.  The 
Metropolitan  detachment,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
T.  A.  Maddox,  in  charge  of  the  artillery,  then  fired  a  Com 
modore's  salutefof  thirteen  guns. 

"After  the  salute  was  fired,  the  vast  multitude  slowly 
retired  from  the  cemetery,  leaving  the  old  hero  to  rest 

beneath  the  trees  under  which  he  had  played  in  boyhood, 
33 


248  THE   LIFE   AND    SERVICES   0# 

and  by  the  side  of  those  of  his  kindred  who  had  gone  before. 
May  the  noble  live  oaks  which  were  planted  in  Bonaventure 
to  commemorate  the  marriage  of  the  first  of  his  name 
upon  the  soil  of  Georgia,  chant  a  perpetual  requiem  over 
his  grave." 

Thus  did  the  city  of  Savannah  pay  the  highest  funeral 
honors  to  her  illustrious  son.  Aside  from  tributes  of  re 
spect  submitted  by  the  societies  and  associations  of  which 
the  Commodore  was  a  member,  the  daily  journals  were 
made  the  mediums  of  conveying  to  the  public  not  a  few 
expressions  of  individual  reverence  and  admiration  for  the 
deceased.  Let  this  serve  as  an  example  : 

[FROM  THE  SAVANNAH  REPUBLICAN.] 

"Although  it  has  been  evident  for  some  time  past  that 
the  physical  vigor  of  this  noble  veteran  was  fast  failing, 
and  that  nature  must  soon  succumb  to .  the  immutable 
decree,  yet  his  friends  were  unwilling  to  anticipate  his  death 
as  so  near.  The  thought  was  put  aside  when  it  intruded 
itself,  and  all  hoped  that  his  inherent  strength  of  constitu 
tion  would  save  him  to  us  much  longer.  So  that  when  it- 
was  announced  on  Wednesday  night  that  ' Commodore  Tatt- 
nall  was  dead,'  a  sudden  pang  shocked  the  entire  heart  of 
this  community.  It  was  like  the  fall  of  one  of  the  mighty 
oaks  of  Bonaventure  in  the  midnight  stillness  of  the  forest. 
Seldom  has  such  genuine  and  universal  sorrow  been  evoked 
by  the  death  of  one  of  such  ripe  years,  so  many  of  whose 
contemporaries, — who  knew  and  loved  him  well, — have 
passed  away.  The  sad  truth  is  before  us,  '  Tattnall  is  dead.' 
The  heart  that  never  throbbed  with  an  ignoble  or  ungen 
erous  impulse  has  ceased  to  beat.  The  spirit  that  never 
conceived,  the  tongue  that  never  uttered  an  unworthy  sen- 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  249 

timent,  and  the  hand  that  never  did  an  unmanly  action 
are  of  this  world  no  longer.  His  venerable  form,  stately 
though  bent,  dignified,  though  ruined,  disappears  hence 
forth  from  among  us.  We  shall  miss  him  with  his  genial 
smile,  his  friendly  hand-grasp ;  the  light  of  intelligence 
and  benevolence  that  beamed  from  his  expressive  counte 
nance  ;  the  instruction  of  his  social  conversation,  enriched 
by  so  much  thought  and  study  and  accurate  observation. 
But  he  leaves  something  of  precious  value  behind  him  after 
death.  The  noble  example  which  the  daily  beauty  of  his 
life  presented  for  more  than  half  a  century  of  toil,  and 
care  and  responsibility,  manifests  to  the  youth  of  his  country 
a  guiding  star  to  light  them  safely  in  the  path  of  genius 
and  nature's  ambition.  Few  men  can  present  at  the  close 
of  such  an  extended  life  as  Tattnall's,  in  such  posts  of 
honor  and  trust  as  he  held,  so  pure  and  noble  a  record. 
This  is  a  tribute  of  affection  to  Tattnall,  and  not  intended 
as  a  record  of  the  great  acts  of  his  life.  His  deeds  have 
helped  to  make  up  some  of  the  grandest  parts  of  the  history 
of  his  country.  History  must  record  them.  None  but  a 
historian  should  do  so.  His  private  life  is  bound  up  in  the 
hearts  of  his  friends.  His  public  life  is  a  glorious  and 
brilliant  part  of  the  warp  and  woof  of  the  canvas  in  which 
history  has  woven  the  story  of  his  country's  glory.  He 
was  the  Bayard  of  the  South, — sans  peur  et  sans  reproche. 
He  was  the  Douglas  of  the  South,  ever  'tender  and  true,' 
and  like  the  'Douglas,'  he  was  in  later  years  entitled  to 
the  cognomen  of  the  'Bleeding  Heart,'  for  his  noble  heart 
bled  itself  unto  death  for  the  woes  and  the  wrongs  of  his 
own  country.  His  remains  will  repose  in  the  ancestral  acres 
of  Bonaventure,  by  the  side  of  his  chivalrous  brother.  He 
will  sleep  under  the  shade  of  those  immemorial  oaks, 


250  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

planted  by  his  remote  progenitors.  These  noble  old  trees, 
renowned  so  long  for  natural  beauty,  will  acquire  hence 
forth  a  new  significance  and  a  richer  glory.  Spared  by  the 
storms, — saved  by  holy  dedication  from  human  desecra 
tion, — cherished  and  cultured  by  the  rains  and  the  dews 
of  Heaven,  they  shall  now  fulfill  their  destiny,  when  with 
new  dignity  and  glory  and  majesty  they  shall  stand  the 
faithful,  unswerving,  watchful  sentinels  who  guard  all  the 
approaches  to  the  tomb  of  Tattnall.  No  grander  requiem 
has  ever  been  sounded  than  that  which  the  Southern  winds 
shall  breathe  to  his  memory  through  the  pendant  mosses 
upon  their  limbs.  Tattnall's  tomb  will  henceforth  be  a 
place  of  pilgrimage. 

*'  '  Such  graves  as  his  are  pilgrim  shrines — 
Shrines  to  no  code  or  creed  confined. 
The  Delphian  vales,  the  Palestines, 

The  Meccas  of  the  mind.'  " 
"June  15,  1871."  "H.  W." 

The  conduct  of  Commodore  Tattnall  during  the  closing 
hours  of  his  life  was  in  harmony  with  that  calm  heroism 
and  self-possession  which  characterized  him  under  all  cir 
cumstances.  Early  in  1871  his  strength  began  to  fail.  He 
grew  weaker  each  day  until  the  inception  of  the  final  illness 
which  bore  him  away.  Under  all  his  pain  and  feebleness 
he  manifested  uniform  patience.  His  spirits  and  cheerful 
ness  he  preserved  to  a  wonderful  degree.  When,  on  the 
9th  of  June,  he  was  informed  by  his  attending  physicians 
that  his  attack  would  prove  fatal,  his  response  was,  "  I  am 
glad  of  it."  This  intelligence  exerted  no  depressing  influ 
ence  upon  him.  Sending  for  his  wife  and  daughters,  calmly, 
and  with  his  own  lips,  he  announced  to  them  the  fact  of 
his  approaching  dissolution.  For  his  absent  son  and 
daughter  he  charged  them  with  messages  of  love. 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH   TATTNALL.  251 

To  the  clergyman  who  was  kindly  offering  the  ministra 
tions  and  consolations  of  religion  he  said,  "Yes,  I  have 
reached  the  river  Styx,  and  I  think  I  have  the  penny." 
Expressing  a  firm  conviction  of  the  truth  of  Christianity? 
he  received  from  his  hands  the  Holy  Communion,  and  de 
clared  his  faith  in  the  merits  of  a  risen  Saviour. 

Of  the  members  of  his  family  and  friends  then  present 
he  took  leave  with  a  smile.  This  done,  dismissing  all  cares 
from  his  mind,  he  called  his  devoted  friend,  Dr.  Charlton, — 
who  had  served  with  him  in  the  United  States  Navy  and 
also  in  the  Navy  of  the  Confederate  States, — and  requested 
him  to  inject  morphine  in  his  arm  and  to  keep  him  under 
its  influence  until  death  should  supervene.  This  wish  was 
observed,  and  the  old  hero, — all  pain  subdued  and  life's 
battle  over, — passed  into  the  world  of  spirits  as  gently  as 
an  infant  falling  on  sleep. 

We  conclude  this  sketch  with  a  portrait  of  Commodore 
Tattnall  painted  by  a  brother  officer  who  knew  him  well 
and  served  with  and  under  him  in  his  prime, — the  late 
Captain  William  C.  Whittle. 

"In  person,  Commodore  Tattnall  was  about  five  feet 
ten  and  a  half  or  eleven  inches  in  height,  and  possessed  a 
frame  and  figure  indicative  of  great  strength,  activity,  and 
endurance.  His  arms  were  long,  which  made  him  formid 
able  with  the  sword,  in  the  use  of  which, — and  especially 
of  the  cutlass, — he  was  very  expert.  A  superior  shot  with 
the  pistol  and  rifle,  he  was  fond  of  field  sports  and  manly 
exercises.  His  face  and  head  were  on  a  grand  scale.  His 
features  were  massive,  and  when  at  rest  their  expression 
was  grave,  thoughtful,  and  occasionally  abstracted ;  but 
without  austerity  or  severity.  His  eyes  were  blue,  large, 
and  very  expressive,  and  in  moments  of  excitement  blazed 


252  THE  LIFE  AND  SERVICES  OF 

with  fire  and  animation.  His  countenance  was  singularly  at 
tractive  and  benevolent  in  its  habitual  expression,  and  there 
was  a  charm  in  his  smile  which  it  would  be  impossible  to 
describe. 

"  Devoting  little  thought  to  the  mere  externals  of  dress, 
there  was  in  his  appearance  the  unmistakable  look  of  the 
gentleman,  with  the  careless,  unstudied  air  of  the  seaman. 
In  him  the  elements  of  the  highest  type  of  both  were  ad 
mirably  blended  and  adjusted.  In  a  word  he  was  the  sub 
lime  of  'Jack  Tar.' 

"Unselfish,  benevolent,  and  preeminently  charitable  and 
generous,  malice  and  envy  were  unknown  to  the  noble 
heart  of  my  friend.  Sensitively  alive  to  the  slightest 
shadow  which  even  seemed  to  approach  his  own  pure  and 
unsullied  honor,  he  was  extremely  delicate  in  his  apprecia 
tion  of  the  feelings  of  others.  His  heart  was  as  tender  as 
that  of  the  gentlest  woman,  with  an  abundant  treasure  of 
sympathy  for  the  distressed  and  the  unfortunate.  No  man 
ever  appreciated  more  justly,  or  acknowledged  more  readily, 
professional  merit  in  another. 

"His  education, — the  foundation  of  which  was  laid  in 
a  grammar-school  in  old  England, — was  thorough  and  clas 
sical  so  far  as  it  went.  This  was  proved  by  the  style  of 
his  conversation,  by  the  language  in  which  he  clothed  his 
thoughts,  and  by  his  taste  in  reading.  It  was  further  ex 
emplified  by  the  character  of  the  authors  with  whose  works 
he  filled  his  shelves  on  board  ship. 

"  His  conversational  powers  were  very  superior.  In  truth, 
his  equal  as  a  conversationalist  I  have  rarely  met  with, 
and  in  the  navy  never  except  in  the  person  of  that  dis 
tinguished  officer,  the  late  Commodore  Crane. 

"His  familiar  talk  with  his  friends, — adorned  by  anecdote, 


COMMODORE   JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  253 

and  a  remarkable  felicity  of  illustration,  enlivened  by  humor, 
and  sparkling  with  wit, — was  genial  and  charming  in  the 
extreme.  With  an  overflowing  spirit  of  kindliness  at  the 
helm,  neither  severity  nor  sarcasm  ever  entered  there. 

"He  was  devoted  to  his  profession  with  an  ardor  and 
enthusiasm  never  surpassed.  There  never  was  a  moment 
in  his  existence  when  he  would  have  hesitated  an  instant 
to  sacrifice  his  life  on  the  altar  of  professional  duty. 

"  It  was  a  habit  with  him, — at  least  during  his  cruise,  as 
a  commanding  officer,  in  the  Mediterranean, — in  the  earlier 
watches  of  the  night,  attended  by  the  friend  who  offers 
this  meagre  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  heroic  dead,  to 
retire  to  the  after  cabin  of  his  ship  and  discuss  professional 
questions  under  supposed  circumstances  of  difficulty  and 
danger  in  which  a  ship-of-war  might  be  placed,  so  that 
scarcely  a  contingency  could  arise,  in  professional  expe 
rience,  which  could  take  him  by  surprise,  or  in.  which  he 
was  not  prepared  to  act  at  once  under  the  intelligent 
dictates  of  a  previously  well-considered  determination. 

"In  after  years,  when  in  command  of  the  United  States 
ship  Saratoga,  he  found  himself,  when  only  just  out  of  the 
harbor  of  Portsmouth,  in  a  most  perilous  position.  The 
means  of  escape  (not  so  apparent  to  a  man  of  less  judg 
ment  and  decision)  had  been  previously  debated  and  de 
cided  on  during  our  discussions  in  the  Mediterranean.  The 
decision  then  arrived  at  and  adopted  occurred  to  him  at 
once  and  determined  his  course.  No  man  that  trod  a  deck 
ever  came  to  a  decision  more  promptly  than  he,  or  forced 
its  execution  through  all  opposing  circumstances  with  more 
energy  and  resolution. 

"On  the  night  of  which  I  speak  he  unhappily  found 
himself  on  a  lee-shore,  in  a  heavy  sea,  during  a  terrific 


254  THE   LIFE   AND   SERVICES   OF 

gale,  in  shoal  water  which  every  moment  was  becoming 
shoaler.  It  was  snowing  heavily  at  the  time,  and  the  pilot 
on  board  had  either  lost  or  mistaken  his  lights.  To  have 
anchored  the  ship  as  she  was,  would  have  ensured  her  de 
struction  and  the  loss  of  her  noble  crew.  To  '  claw  off' 
had  proved  impossible,  as  he  had  pressed  the  gallant  ship 
with  canvass  in  the  vain  effort  to  work  off  until  he  had 
brought  the  lee-hammock-rail  to  the  water.  Something 
must  be  done  and  done  promptly,  or  all  would  be  lost.  He 
did  not  hesitate  a  moment  as  to  the  only  course  left  him, 
full  as  it  was  of  the  greatest  hazard  and  difficulty  in  the 
execution,  as  every  seaman  will  at  once  comprehend. 

"Bending  all  his  cables,  clearing  away  every  anchor,  he 
determined  to  cut  away  his  masts  and  to  anchor.  Having 
made  the  necessary  preparations,  and  called  the  trustiest 
seamen  of  his  crew  around  him  in  his  cabin,  he  assigned 
to  each  his  particular  station  and  duty  in  the  magnificent 
effort  of  seamanship  which  he  had  determined  to  attempt. 

"Sending  each  to  his  station  with  a  cheering  word  of 
confidence  and  encouragement  which  he  knew  so  well  how 
to  speak,  he  repaired  to  the  deck,  of  which  he  assumed 
the  command,  sent  his  officers  to  their  different  stations, 
and  calmly  awaited  the  favorable  moment  for  the  execution 
of  his  grand  conception.  That  moment  came  and  passed, 
but  it  did  not  pass  unimproved ;  for,  bringing  the  ship  in 
the  wind  as  rapidly  as  the  heavily  rolling  sea  on  his  bow 
would  permit,  he  gave  the  order  to  cut.  The  masts  went 
over  to  leeward,  the  anchors  were  let  go,  chains  were  veered, 
the  ship  brought  up,  and  without  the  slightest  accident  or 
confusion  on  that  crowded  deck  they  were  saved. 

"I  have  thus  attempted  in  my  poor  way  to  convey  some 
idea  of  my  appreciation  of  his  great  character.  Let  it  be 


COMMODORE    JOSIAH  TATTNALL.  255 

remembered  that  except  in  early  boyhood,  at  the  close  of 
the  war  with  England,  when  he  entered  the  navy  of  the 
United  States,  and  in  the  war  with  Mexico  which  had  no 
navy,  opportunities  for  early  training  in  combats  with  an 
enemy,  and  for  gaining  that  experience  and  distinction 
which  are  acquired  and  won  in  the  face  of  an  enemy,  were 
wanting  to  him.  Had  they  been  present  with  him  as  with 
Nelson,  he  would  have  been  his  equal.  With  a  genius  as 
great,  with  aspirations  as  lofty  as  those  which  inspired 
England's  immortal  son,  his  moral  tone  was  incomparably 
purer  and  more  exalted.  He  only  wanted  what  Decatur 
called  opportunity  to  have  inscribed  his  name  high  up 
amongst  those  of  the  great  naval  men  of  the  world. 

"His  perception  was  like  the  lightning's  flash.  The  exe 
cution  followed  and  with  a  force  sufficient  to  overcome  the 
resistance  to  be  encountered.  This  rapidity  of  thought  and 
action  gave  to  his  conduct,  at  times,  in  the  estimation  of 
more  sluggish  and  less  resolute  characters,  an  appearance 
of  rashness. 

"  There  was  not  one  particle  of  self-assertion  in  his  com 
position.  He  was  singularly  modest  and  unassuming  in 
his  ordinary  intercourse  with  society,  and  utterly  free  from 
everything  like  vanity  or  egotism. 

"The  point  of  honor  was  the  pivot  around  which  the 
elements  of  his  chivalric  character  revolved,  and  from  which 
there  was  no  deviation. 

"With  a  mind  to  conceive  the  boldest  designs,  and  a 
courage  which  never  blanched  or  hesitated  in  their  exe 
cution,  it  may  be  said,  without  figure,  of  this  Bayard  of 
the  seas,  he  was  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche." 


APPENDIX. 

LONDON,  July  27th,  1726. 
To  KOGER  FENWICK,  ESQUIRE, 

Little  Isle,  near  Skibbereen, 

County  Cork,  Ireland : 

SIR  :  I  was  agreeably  surprised  at  the  receipt  of  your 
obliging  letter  dated  the  17th  of  last  month,  which  came  to 
my  hands  the  13th  of  this  month,  especially  since  you  were 
so  kind  to  write  it  upon  your  hearing  of  my  abode  and 
name.  You  were  pleased  to  acquaint  me  that  the  original 
of  your  family's  settlement  in  Ireland  was  by  your  grand 
father,  Ealph  Fenwick,  who  went  into  that  Kingdom  an 
officer  in  Cromwell's  army,  and  that  your  father,  Charles 
Fenwick,  died  soon  after  the  revolution,  leaving  you  a  good 
estate,  which  I  pray  God  may  long  continue  in  your  family 
and  name.  And  as  you  desire  me  to  give  you  an  account 
of  our  name  and  family,  to  which  you  say  you  are  an  entire 
stranger,  I  perceive  you  have  never  been  in  England  your 
self,  and  therefore  I  shall  obey  your  commands  in  it,  in  the 
best  and  truest  manner  I  can,  as  follows  :  The  name  of 
Fenwick  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  names  at  this  time  in 
England,  for  it  has  been  an  eminent  gentleman's  family  in 
the  county  of  Northumberland  ever  since  the  time  of  our 
Saxon  Kings,  long  before  William  the  Conqueror's  time, 
and  the  chief  of  the  family  lived  from  that  time  for  several 
ages  after  at  a  place  called  Fenwick  Tower,  about  ten  or 
twelve  miles  from  New  Castle,  higher  up  the  river  Tyne, 
and  afterwards  the  posterity  of  that  family  removed  from 
thence  to  another  fine  seat,  (belonging  to  their  estate), 


2  .          APPENDIX. 

called  Wallington,  which  lies  about  seven  miles  north  from 
the  old  Fenwick  Tower,  for  which  reason  Fenwick  Tower 
soon  fell  into   decay,   and  there  is  now  nothing  of  it  but 
some  small  remains  of  the  old  ruins.     The  removal  of  the 
family  from  Fenwick  Tower  to  Wallington  was    (I  think) 
about  the  time  of  the  reign  of  King  Edward  the  III,  where 
they  nourished  in  a  very  eminent  manner,   possessed  of  a 
very   large   estate   for   several   ages   more,  when   the   name 
began  to  branch  out  into  several  other  families   who  were 
younger   brothers   to   the   House   of  Wallington,    and   they 
also  were  possessed  of  good  estates ;  and  the  chief  of  these 
younger  families   was  the  House  of    Stanton,  a  seat  about 
three   miles   from   a   place   called   Morporth,   in   Northum-* 
berland,  and  this  family  of    Stanton  was  established,  and 
separated  from  the  Wallington  family  in  the  reign   of  King 
Harry  the  IV,  and  where  they  remain  to  this  day,  and  is 
now  the  first  family  of  the  name,  because  the  Wallington 
family  became  extinct  at  the  death  of  Sir  John  Fenwick, — 
Baronet, — who  was  beheaded  in  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1696,  soon  after  the  revolution,  he  being  then  accused  of 
treasonable  practices  against  King  William  in  favor  of  the 
abdicated  King  James ;  and  this  Sir  John  Fenwick,  three  or 
four  years  before  his  death,  sold  all  the  estate  and  posses 
sions  that  belonged  to  him,  and  which  had  been  in  his  name 
and  family  near  (1,000)  one  thousand  years  before,  and  he 
sent  all  the  money  that  he  received  for  it  to  King  James 
into   France, — so  much  wras  he  begotted  to  the  interest  of 
that  King  and  his  party,  to  the  ruin  of  himself  and  family. 
Thus  far  will  serve  to  inform  you  of  the  origin  and  a  general 
account   of    our   name    and   family;  therefore  now   I    shall 
confine  the  remaining  part  of  this  letter  to  a  more  particular 
information  of  the  Stanton  family,  from  whence  I  am  and 


APPENDIX.  3 

you  also  are  descended,  for  doing  which  I  think  it  will  not 
be  material  to  tell  you  the  progress  of  the  several  gener 
ations  of  father  and  son  from  the  time  of  the  first  settlement 
of  that  family.  Therefore,  I  shall  only  begin  from  the 
time  of  my  great-grandfather,  William  Fenwick,  who  was 
born  at  Stanton  the  22d  September,  1581,  and  died  at  the 
same  place  the  12th  July,  1647.  He  left  several  children, 
but  his  eldest  son  (my  grandfather)  was  Edward  Fenwick, 
born  at  Stanton  29th  October,  1606,  and  died  there  the 
14th  August,  1689 ;  and  your  grandfather  (Ralph  Fenwick) 
was  a  younger  brother  of  this  Edward  Fenwick,  my  grand 
father,  who  had  eleven  children.  His  eldest  son  was  Eoger 
Fenwick,  born  at  Stanton  the  18th  March,  1632,  but  he  was 
killed  at  the  seige  of  Dunkirk  at  an  assault  in  mounting  the 
breaches  at  Mardike,  1658 — he  being  then  Colonel  of  a  regi 
ment  of  horse.  After  this  Roger  Fenwick's  death,  my  grand 
father's  second  son,  William  Fenwick,  became  his  heir,  and 
married  and  died  soon  after,  but  left  a  son  named  Roger 
Fenwick,  who  inherited  the  Stanton  estate  after  my  grand 
father's  death.  ,  This  Roger  Fenwick  also  married,  but  died 
soon  after,  leaving  a  son  named  John  Fenwick,  who  now  in 
herits  the  Stanton  estate,  and  is  the  first  of  the  name  and 
family.  My  father  (Robert  Fenwick)  was  the  next  son  of 
my  grandfather  to  William  Fenwick  above-mentioned  ;  so 
that  he  being  a  younger  brother  had  no  provision  made 
for  him  out  of  the  family  estate,  but  he  married  a  gen 
tlewoman  of  that  county  by  whom  he  had  a  considerable 
fortune.  My  father  had  eight  children,  and  I  was  his 
third  son,  but  my  father  dying  when  we  were  young,  we 
were  all  obliged  to  seek  our  own  fortunes  as  we  grew  up. 
My  eldest  brother  happened  to  be  killed  in  a  duel  soon 
after  he  came  to  man's  estate.  My  second  brother  went 


4  APPENDIX. 

into  the  army,  a  cornet  in  the  horse  service  in  the  last 
wars,  and  he  also  happened  to  be  so  much  wounded  in 
the  first  engagement  he  was  in,  that  he  died  soon  after. 
I  took  my  fortune  another  way  and  went  into  the  East 
Indies,  where  I  lived  a  merchant  above  eleven  years,  and 
where  it  pleased  God  to  prosper  my  endeavors  with  a 
moderate  fortune,  with  which  about  eight  years  ago  I  mar 
ried  very  happily  and  settled  here  in  London,  where  I 
have  lived  ever  since ;  but  I  have  no  children  of  my  own 
living ;  neither  are  there  any  of  my  father's  children  living 
but  myself  and  my  youngest  brother,  John  Fenwick,  who 
went  into  the  West  Indies  about  twenty  years  ago,  and 
has  acquired  a  very  good  estate  in  South  Carolina,  where 
he  now  lives  in  a  married  state,  and  has  four  or  five 
children.  The  two  eldest  of  them,  a  son  and  a  daughter, 
are  now  in  England  under  my  care.  Thus,  sir,  I  have  in 
a  very  full  manner  given  you  a  large  account,  as  well  of 
myself  as  of  our  name  and  family,  in  compliance  with  your 
desire,  so  far  as  I  could  ever  get  any  knowledge  of;  and 
if  any  part  of  this  relation  is  not  so  plain  and  intelligi 
ble  to  you  as  I  intend  it,  I  will,  upon  your  first  notice, 
endeavour  to  do  it  better.  I  fear  I  have  made  this  letter 
too  long,  and  that  it  will  be  tedious  and  troublesome  to 
you,  but  as  I  know  not  how  to  answer  particularly  what 
you  desired  of  me  in  less  room,  so  I  hope  you  will  excuse 
it.  I  shall  be  glad  to  continue  a  correspondence  with  you 
and  to  obey  any  commands  wherein  you  think  me  capable 
of  serving  you  here.  My  wife  joins  with  me  in  our  sin 
cere  respects  to  yourself  and  lady,  so  I  take  leave,  for  the 
present,  to  subscribe  myself,  dear  sir, 

Your  very  affectionate  kinsman, 

EDWARD  FENWICK. 


D 


THIS  BOOK 


VC  59495 


M181820 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  XlBRARY 


